


Advent Calendar 2017

by lamentomori



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment, 新日本プロレス | New Japan Pro-Wrestling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bar/Pub, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Best Friends, Christmas Party, Drinking, Established Relationship, F/F, F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gen, Hangover, Ice Skating, M/M, Nicknames, Paranormal Investigators, Power of Friendship, Romance, Secret Crush, Semi-Public Sex, Shopping Malls, Snowball Fight, Threesome - F/M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-01
Updated: 2018-01-01
Packaged: 2019-02-09 04:47:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 26
Words: 41,522
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12880470
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lamentomori/pseuds/lamentomori
Summary: Twenty-five days in the Parts Unknown Mall. A mall where Christmas is coming, and maybe, the staff are too.Various pairings and warnings - Full listing in Chapter 26, complete with all warnings.





	1. 1st of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1st of December: Brewed Awakening's owner and her girlfriend finish off decorating, breakfast, and their morning kiss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: FemSlash (Charlotte/Becky Lynch), Terrible nicknames, Fluff.

If living the dream isn’t operating her very own, non-chain, coffee shop in a bustling mall, and decorating it for Christmas with the woman she loves, then Becky isn’t sure what is. She’d left Ireland with high hopes, and big dreams, which had promptly fallen apart, so she got a job as a waitress. From that, she ended up where she is now. Owner of the busy little coffee shop, _Brewed Awakening_ , on the third floor of the Parts Unknown Mall.

“I still can’t believe you’ve only started decorating today.” Her girlfriend sounds more amused than anything, but if she’d been annoyed Becky couldn’t blame her. It’s just after seven, and they’ve been decorating since six. It’s finally finished though, all that’s left is to put the Christmas playlist on.

“It’s bad luck to put them up before December, Charli.” Becky turns to her woman with a grin, but the blonde isn’t paying attention to her. Instead, Charlotte is staring out at the slowly waking mall. Things won’t pick up until after eight, but a few employees are opening up their stores, and getting ready for the day. Charlotte takes a seat in her favourite chair, and sets the now empty can of fake snow down on the table.

“Who’s that?” She nods her head towards the man on the other side of floor. He’s busy fussing with Christmas lights covering the front of the comic book store. “Did White’n’nerdy sell up when I wasn’t looking?” Becky shakes her head, and takes a seat at the table beside Charlotte.

“No…isn’t that one of the boys from the music shop?” The man in question has his back turned to them, so seeing who it is is difficult, but he has long, dark hair, and the only men with long hair that Becky knows are friends with the cute, but painfully white and nerdy, owner of the comic book store are the sons of the man who owns the music shop. Charlotte squints at the man again, and shakes her head.

“I don’t think so, I don’t remember either of them looking that…” She trails off, an awkward look on her face. “It’s not Matt or Nick.” She concludes firmly. Becky shrugs, and leans closer to Charlotte, pressing her against the window to get a better look at the man _still_ fussing with the lights. Charlotte makes a noise of protest at being squashed against the window, but otherwise is still.

“He’s new…I guess White’n’nerdy did sell up, _or_ he hired someone to help with the Christmas rush.” Becky pecks Charlotte’s cheek, and settles back in her chair. “You want a cuppa before you head to work?”

“And a muffin. All this decorating’s got me hungry.” Charlotte grins at Becky as she gets to her feet, and heads for the coffee machine. “Oh! There’s White’n’nerdy. Panic over him selling up averted.” Charlotte calls out. Becky smothers a laugh, and spares a glance at her girlfriend. She’s turned to face the window entirely, watching the two men now fussing with the Christmas lights. “I think White’n’nerdy is wearing a Christmas sweater…He’s started late this year.”

“No surprise really. I mean, getting dumped sucks.” Becky sets a cup of coffee down in front of Charlotte, and one of her favourite lemon-poppy seed muffins. “I wonder if Santa’ll give him something nice for Christmas to make up for it.”

“An Ann Summers voucher, hopefully. I swear, the few times I’ve spoken to him this year…boy needs to get laid.” Becky bristles at that, and Charlotte chuckles at her. “I’m mostly joking, but we can both agree he needs laid.”

“I thought one of the Bucks would have helped him out with that…or at least The Incredible Twunk.” Becky settles into her seat by Charlotte once more, sipping at her cup of tea. “Lord knows for all he’s got a girlfriend he sniffs around our boy, White’n’nerdy.”

“Wouldn’t you?” Charlotte winks at Becky. She has the worst habit of using her bisexuality to tease Becky in moments like this. Becky has never had any interest in men, Charlotte on the other hand used to be married to one of them. The collapse of that marriage is how the pair met. Charlotte’s ex had been her partner in the sporting goods store she owns, and when the marriage soured, she would come up to Becky’s coffee shop to avoid her husband. When Charlotte was there Becky would subtly try to work out if the gorgeous, but sad looking, woman might be into flirting with a failed actress-turned-coffeeshop-owner Irish lesbian. It turned out that Charlotte was indeed into flirting, and about six months after her divorce, she asked Becky on their first date, which was sushi in the place up in the food court. That first date had led to many more, and then, just under two years ago, they moved in together.

“Maybe if he did something with that mop on top of his head.” Becky steals the last bit of Charlotte’s muffin. When Charlotte looks at her with a subtle rebuke, Becky sticks her tongue out. She’s certain she’s earned the right to muffin theft, and if Charlotte is still hungry she can have the croissant Becky doesn’t want anymore.

“Well, there’s that new salon beside you isn’t there?” Charlotte retaliates for the stolen muffin by stealing a bite of the croissant that Becky had been picking apart.

“Is it open?” Becky pushes the croissant towards Charlotte, and leans back in her chair. “Last I saw it looked like they were still refurbishing.”

“I’ll look when I head downstairs.” Charlotte polishes off the croissant, licking her fingers clean before rubbing them on a napkin. “So, we all done here?” She gestures around the coffee shop with a smile on her face. Becky has the feeling that Charlotte is up to something, but she has no idea what it could be.

“Aye, we are. You did a good job. I’ll reward you when we’re home.” Becky gathers the dirty dishes, and takes them to the back. When she’s done rinsing them, Charlotte has vacated their preferred spot in the café, and is sorting her coat by the door.

“Alright, come say goodbye to your woman!” Charlotte demands from the doorway. There’s a mischievous little smile on her lips, but Becky’s so used to that smile that it barely registers. She comes over to Charlotte and is pulled into a very thorough, and sweet, kiss. It’s not the usual gentle peck on the cheek that Charlotte gives Becky in the mornings, but she is far from unhappy. There’s very little she loves more than Charlotte’s kisses.

“Not that I’m complaining, but what was that for?” Becky’s probably smiling like a silly schoolgirl, but even after being together for so long, she adores being ravaged by her woman. Charlotte jerks her chin up a little.

“Have a look.” She pecks the tip of Becky’s nose as Becky glances up at the fresh sprig of mistletoe pinned above the door.

“I’m not going to be able to enforce this, you know that.” Becky chuckles, and Charlotte kisses her lips again.

“It’s not for anyone but us.” Charlotte murmurs softly, and unhooks the mistletoe. “This is coming home with us, and I’m gonna tuck it into my belt so I can get the reward I want.” She winks lasciviously, and blows Becky kiss.

“Oh? That’s what you want as a reward, huh?” Becky leans forward, and kisses Charlotte one last time, before opening door to the coffee shop, and shooing her out. “Have a nice day a work, honey.” Becky calls as Charlotte waves over her shoulder, and blows another kiss to her. With a shake of her head, Becky props open the coffee shop’s door. She needs to get started on the orders for staff she knows are coming before the mall officially opens. But first, she turns the Christmas playlist on, and plops her Santa hat on her head. December first is the start of Christmas, a time of year Becky loves, and she always goes all out for the things she loves.


	2. 2nd of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 2nd of December: Matt might not have said "I love you" to his other half, but that doesn't change the fact he probably does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Slash (Matt Jackson/Jimmy Jacobs), Fluff, Terrible nicknames.

Music stores might be dying out, but Matt and his little brother, Nick, have always been committed to helping their dad keep his afloat. Neither one of them is particularly musically inclined, but they both are good _business_ men, and they love their father. So, he’s fairly sure that _Papa Buck’s Den_ is in good hands with the pair of them. Expanding to include video games, a few years ago on Kenny’s insistence, was a smart move. The little corner of the store with the massive screen, and the comfy chairs is a popular spot, and the exchanges make decent money. Christmas always presents a problem on the games front though. The last video game Matt had played was Streets of Rage two. An aptly named game, as he’d thrown the cartridge out the window in a fit of rage, much to Nick’s horror. His little brother is slightly more into games, but it’s slight, so getting the most out of the video game section of the store can be tricky. Thankfully, Kenny is a good friend, and is kind enough to have arranged an employee swap with them over the holidays. Seth, their usual assistant, is over at Kenny’s comic book store, and Xavier, Kenny’s trusted second in command, is helping out Matt and Nick with their thriving exchanges.

Today is the first real test of Xavier’s ability to deal with the Den’s customer base, but he seems to be doing exceptionally well. In fact, the whole morning has been pleasantly busy. There’s nothing worse than a quiet Saturday. It feels like the calm before the storm, or the dread before a late bill payment. Today has seen a lot of paying customers, and that’s always a good thing.

Still, the lunchtime lull is nice. Nick’s on a coffee run up to Brewed Awakening to get some of the awesome muffins, and he hopes peppermint lattes, because they were amazing last year. Xavier is playing some random kids on whatever console he decided to set up this morning, and by the sound of things kicking their asses. And Matt is manning the very quiet store. There’s one old lady in the corner browsing the records, and a young man bundled up against the cold near the door flipping through the CDs. The old lady is a regular, and often comes in to trade her old vinyl for newer ones. She also likes Nick way more than Matt, but Matt’s sure that’s because Nick’s hair is receding, and it must remind her of her husband. Her fondness for Nick means that she’ll wait for him to come back, which means Matt’s only customer is the young man. He lets the customer browse a little while longer, and then he casually approaches.

“Can I help?” From a distance the man had looked younger, up close he’s maybe a little older than Matt, but you’d have to look carefully to notice, especially as most of his face is hidden in his scarf.

“I have no idea.” He laughs softly, and turns to Matt with a smile. “I’m looking for something in particular.” His smile broadens into a grin, and Matt realises who he is instantly.

“Oh my god!” Matt throws his arms around the man, and lifts him off his feet, much to the man’s gleeful surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me you were home, Jimmy?”

“Because that would spoil the surprise.” Jimmy pulls away, and bops him on the nose. “Which I thought Nick might have done when he said hi to me on his way out, but apparently ignoring your brother comes naturally.”

“Well, yeah…he’s my brother.” Matt laughs. He’s wearing the biggest, goofiest smile in the world, but he’s fairly sure that’s understandable seeing as he’s not seen Jimmy in a very long two weeks. “How was the conference?”

“Oh my god. So boring!” Jimmy gives a slightly dramatic shudder, and heads for the counter where he leans against it lazily. “I am back early though. Wanna skip out on work and come laugh at the people ice skating with me?” He grins at Matt.

“He does, but he can’t.” Nick returns, and nudges Matt on the way past. “But, because I’m the nice brother, I think you can have him from about four.” Nick hands Matt a cup of coffee with a smile.

“I’ll take it, but I _know_ that you’re gonna want something in return, Nick.” Suspicion is thick in Matt’s voice, but he’s grateful to his little brother for letting him spend some time with his much-missed other half. He’ll have to think of a way to repay Nick later.

“Of course.” Nick laughs, and starts handing out muffins.

After the muffins, Jimmy heads off for a few hours, Nick helps the old lady, Xavier beats the kids he’s playing, and Matt rearranges the band t-shirts on the wall. The lunchtime lull passes, and foot traffic picks up again. The store doesn’t get busy, but it is steady, which is okay. They’re going to have to think of some special Christmas promotions, but that’s something they’ll discuss tomorrow at lunch with their dad.

“Hey, Matt. Can I leave you some of these?” Marty, a friend he and Nick had made through the coffee shop on the third floor, asks. He sounds harried, and is brilliantly red, which is not like Marty at all. He’s usually pretty composed, to the point where the Irish woman who owns the coffee shop has nicknamed him Double-O Eggsy. Becky seems to have nicknames for all of her regulars, which has often made Matt wonder what his is, but he’s always been to shy, or afraid of her girlfriend and he’s not sure which, to ask.

“For the new salon?” Matt taps an empty space on the counter that Marty sets the flyers, which advertise the grand opening and offer a reasonable discount, in immediately. He wants to ask what’s caused Marty’s flustering, but it might seem a little rude. They’re friends, but he’s not sure they’re asking _what’s got you all flustered_ friends. Nick, thankfully has no such qualms.

“Did you run down the stairs to give us these flyers, Marty?” Nick claps him on the shoulder, and chuckles as Marty jumps at the contact.

“No…well yes, but…there were extenuating circumstances.” Marty runs a hand over his hair, clearly checking to see if any of it is out of place. As a hair stylist, the little moment of vanity is understandable, and most forgivable.

“Enlighten us.” Nick leans against the counter, clearly very interested in what these _extenuating_ circumstances are.

“I…nothing really.” Marty forces a brilliant smile to his lips, and Matt and Nick share a look. They’re going to get to the bottom of this.

“What happened, Marty?” Matt comes around the counter, and wraps an arm around Marty’s shoulders, pulling him into a half hug. He’s wearing his most caring and sympathetic smile, but it seems the moment has past.

“ _Really_ , nothing at all…just let Seth know that I’ll do his hair for free.” Marty shrugs Matt’s arm off, and offers them a more composed grin. “It’s the least I can do for mistaking him for a girl…he does have lovely locks though.” Now that Marty is back to himself, the flustered, red-faced Marty is long gone and what led to him being around is confined to the annals of history. “Which must be a requirement for working here.” Marty lightly tugs on Matt’s hair. “If anyone asks, the twenty percent is valid until the eighth, okay?”

“Sure thing, Marty.” Nick offers him a smile as Marty leaves the store. “What was that all about?” Nick looks deeply suspicious, but really Matt’s not overly interested. If he knows Marty, he’ll have run into some woman’s boyfriend who probably tried to punch him for flirting with his woman or with the punchy boyfriend himself. Marty’s a nice guy, but he’s a terrible flirt, not in that he’s bad at it, just that he will flirt with anyone, male or female, close enough to hear him do it.

“So, can Matt come out to play, Nick?” Jimmy shows up at four on the dot, with a box of doughnuts from the place in the food court to offer in exchange for Matt. Nick accepts the doughnuts with a smile, and waves them off. Jimmy leads him with purpose down to the first floor. There’s an ice rink set up there, and Jimmy takes a seat at one of the tables that are dotted around the small rink. He’s been carrying two steaming, paper cups the whole time, and he finally offers one to Matt.

“Ooo, hot chocolate? With marshmallows?” Matt takes a sip of the steaming hot coco, and offers Jimmy his sweetest, most loving smile,

“Of course, with marshmallows. What do you think I am? A heathen?” Jimmy laughs, and then points out someone on the rink who’s doing terribly. As they sip at their hot chocolate, a mild chatter about the management course Jimmy had been on starts up. There’s something pleasant in how mundane the whole thing feels, how comfortably familiar it is to be discussing work with Jimmy, and to be getting his ideas on how to run the music store better. Matt hadn’t expected this relationship when Jimmy had taken over managing the Hot Topic on the other side of the second floor. They’d been friends in college, not good friends, but friendly enough to share ramen noodles made in a microwave at three in the morning whilst panicking over a test. Once he’d started working in the mall, they’d reconnected. Somehow reconnecting became sharing an apartment because it was cheaper, and then sharing the apartment became sharing a bed. They’d managed all of this without having a _come to Jesus_ moment as it were. Neither one of them have said the l-word. Matt’s sure that if he did, he’d hear it back. It’s just he doesn’t feel the need to say it. What they have is awesome, and if he’s entirely truthful, he doesn’t want to risk not having with Jimmy anymore.

“So, you coming to lunch tomorrow?” Matt asks, tapping Jimmy’s foot with his own, drawing his attention from his phone. “It’s the annual Mama and Papa Buck tree decorating lunch.”

“That sounds…” Jimmy trails off, his fingers tightening around his phone. “Isn’t that a _family_ event?” He asks eventually. Matt taps his foot again, and reaches over to swipe his phone, leaving Jimmy with nothing to distract him, except the terrible ice-skaters.

“Yeah, it is.” He gathers up Jimmy’s hands, and presses a kiss to the back of his knuckles. “And my family are dying to meet you, so…” It’s not quite an _I love_ you, but meeting his parents is damn close, and it seem Jimmy realises this. He wears a considering face for a long time, but eventually nods. There’s a tentative smile on his lips, and a barely visible blush on his cheeks. “You’ll come?”

“Not here! We’re in public.” He laughs, the sweetly shy moment passing as quickly as it had manifested. “But seriously, I’d love to come help decorate your parents’ tree…and once we finish theirs, we can do ours? It’s being delivered to our place at seven.”

“Sounds good.” Matt strokes his thumb over the back of Jimmy’s knuckles, and with his free hand slides his phone back over to him. “This’ll be out first tree together.” It’s kind of silly to be this excited at the idea of sharing a Christmas tree, but really, he is. Again it’s not an _I love you_ , but really it might be more. Jimmy nods, and frees one of his hands. He grabs his phone, opens his photos, and starts flicking through them quickly.

“Yeah, which is why I want to make sure we get the decorations right. I’ve two sets I like, but I want to see what you think.” Jimmy slides the phone back over to Matt, an eager look on his face. Being excited over a tree might be silly, but Matt’s very happy he’s got someone to be silly with.


	3. 3rd of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 3rd of December: Trent and Chuck are best friends, and best friends are awesome at everything together, even at Dirty Dancing lifts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Friendship, Fluff, Scaring and scarring small children.

Ice rinks are a lot like swimming pools, only instead of water, there’s ice, and instead of worrying about drowning, everyone has knives strapped to their feet. Still, life guarding by any other name is just as boring. The only good thing about the whole endeavour is he dragged his best friend into it too. Most things are more fun when you’re with your best friend, and Trent’s best friend makes things way more fun by default.   
Currently, Chuck is on break though, which he’s taken to mean he’s now entirely allowed to skate around shouting boo at children, and engaging in some kind of weird finger clicking based dance routine to the Christmas songs that are playing with Kenny from the comic book store. Kenny’s an old friend of Chuck’s, and now a new one of Trent’s, because best friends totally share friends as well as boring jobs guarding the public from themselves.  
“Excuse me.” A very annoyed woman, she looks like she’s called Susan or Karen or Stacy something middle-aged and white at least, approaches him with a wailing kid in tow. “Excuse me.” She hisses like a goose, and Trent reluctantly turns from watching Chuck and Kenny try, and horribly fail at, a Dirty Dancing lift. Thankfully their failure doesn’t result in any blood.  
“Yes, madam?” He gives her his best smile. She looks at him like dog shit on her Louis Vuitton’s. “What seems to be the problem?” Possibly Susan gestures to her wailing child, and Trent smiles awkwardly at it. It pauses in it’s wails for a moment to look at him, and then redoubles its efforts. From the rink, even over the sound of Mariah Carey, Trent hears Chuck cackling, and then screeching as the child he’d frightened starts chasing him, intent on revenge.   
“My child was traumatised by one of the other skaters…it’s your job to stop this from happening.” Maybe Karen’s lips are pursed as tight as a cat’s butthole, and now that the thought has occurred to Trent he can’t shake the image, or stop from noticing the faint moustache she has.   
“Uh…” He roots around in the little kiosk, and produces a pocket packet of Kleenex. “Here?” Then again it might be Stacy looks furiously at him, and he’s at a total lose for what to do. He’s terrible with kids, and even worse with middle-aged women.   
“Here you go, little guy.” Never has Trent been so glad to hear the sound of Kevin’s voice before in his life. The sour Canadian has a massive soft spot for kids, and the magical ability to make them forget whatever was ailing them. Even better, his best friend is awesome with middle-aged, cat butthole mouthed, ladies. As the Canadian best friends deal with the mess, Trent returns to his watching over the skating masses. Once more Chuck and Kenny are click dancing, but this time they’re joined by several kids, and appear to be trying to recreate the Beat It video with ten-year olds. He thinks maybe he should try to stop them, or better yet, play the song on the sound system to help them get the kids clicking their fingers in time. Before he can make a decision on what to do, Kevin’s spotted them, and is skating over, arms flailing like a windmill to break things up.   
“We’re gonna get fired at this rate.” Sami mutters, and leans against the wall of the kiosk Trent’s manning.   
“Nah, we’re good.” Trent offers him a smile, and Sami scrubs a hand over his face. The middle-aged lady and her kid are back out on the ice skating around, but giving Chuck a wide berth. It’s probably for the best, as Chuck really does enjoy spooking people way too much. “What was her name?”   
“Who? The woman who was threatening to sue us? Carol.” Damn. That one hadn’t even occurred to Trent. Sami rubs his face again, and Trent decides it’s probably time to swap places with him. Sami looks like crap, and if he’s not in charge of the rentals, he can help Chuck with the Dirty Dancing lift that Kenny screwed up again.   
“Hey.” He taps Sami’s shoulder, and tugs him around the barrier. “You sit here for a while, and I’ll go tell Chuck that he’s not on break any more and needs to stop being a dick.” Sami looks at him sceptically for a moment, but nods, and comes into the booth.   
“Thanks, Trent.” Sami gives him a genuinely friendly smile, and he almost feels bad for the fart he’s just dropped, but Sami won’t complain, because he’s too nice. “If you can at least get him to stop scaring little kids, and to focus on teenagers who’ll get a kick out of it, that’d be great.” Trent vows to at least defend kids under twelve from being scared by Chuck, as a payment for Sami’s general niceness. It’s literally the least he can do.   
“You’re not on break anymore.” Trent calls out as he skates up to Chuck and Kenny. Chuck pulls his phone out of his pocket, and groans as he looks at the time, then stuffs it back in his pants.  
“Damn it. I was enjoying not having to be nice, Trent.” He sounds painfully bored, but there’s a grin the size of Texas on his face.   
“Yeah, well…” Trent shrugs, and fist-bumps Kenny by way of greeting. It feels weird to be fist-bumping a nerd like him, but Kenny isn’t your average geek. The only thing he does as much as be a nerd is lift very heavy things in the gym. Jock-nerd is a niche market, but it’s one that Kenny is pretty much cornering.   
“So…what do you guys do here exactly?” Kenny gestures around the rink, a mildly perplexed look on his face. “There’s four of you, and there seems to be work for like one.”  
“Hey! We protect the public.” Chuck’s hand is clenched over his heart like he was making an impassioned speech. Trent nods, and watches a little kid fall on their ass. The kid looks fine, so there’s no protecting needed. Kenny notices the incident though, and now Trent feels compelled to take some kind of action, so he skates over to the kid, and awkwardly sets it on its feet once more. “See, protecting the public.” Chuck high fives him when he returns, and Kenny nods vaguely at them.   
“I look forward to selling comics all about you two.” He glances at the big clock that hangs on the far wall of the ground floor of the mall, and sighs. “I should get going. I don’t want more people mistaking Seth for a girl, and him having another fifteen-minute hissy fit over it.”  
“Seth? The guy that Matt and Nick hired? The one with like all the beard?” The idea that anyone would be able to mistake someone with a beard as impressive as Seth’s for a woman is more than a surprise, but Kenny nods. There’s an odd look on his face, but Trent doesn’t know him well enough to define it as anything other than odd.   
“Yup. One of the hairdressers, from the new salon up on my floor was dropping off some flyers, thought Seth was a girl. I said no, then he pretty much ran away…I guess he was embarrassed or something, and Seth squawked like an offended parrot for like fifteen minutes.” Kenny rubs the back of his neck, and shrugs. “Anyway, I’ll see you guys later.” He takes his leave of the ice, and makes his way back to his comic book store.  
“For a guy who wanted to be a hockey player as a kid, he is shit at ice-dancing.” Chuck sounds scornful, but he’s also grinning like a maniac, which is freaking out the little kid who’s skating past more than saying boo ever would. Thankfully it’s not on purpose, so Trent’s sure it doesn’t count against his promise to Sami.   
“Yeah, but didn’t he want to be a goalie? There’s not too much skating involved in stopping the ball from going in the net.” Trent mutters, and plasters what he hopes is an encouraging smile on his face as he watches the kid. The little kid skates away quickly.   
“I guess.” Chuck shrugs, and casts a lazy gaze around the rink. He turns to Trent with a smile so wide he can see Chuck’s molars. “Wanna scare children?”  
“Not today, Chuckie.” Trent smiles as cunningly as he can at his best friend, hoping to intrigue him enough to not notice the group of seven-year olds, and what is probably their youth pastor, skating past nervously towards a very fatherly smiling Kevin. He’s really good with kids, and probably should try to be Santa instead of working at this crappy ice rink. Trent would definitely suggest parents take their kids to go see Kevin-Santa, and Sami could be his best friend elf, and it’d be awesome. He might suggest it to them, especially as the Grotto isn’t going to be open until next weekend, so there’s probably time for them to get jobs that fit them better.   
“So, what is the plan for the rest of the day?” Thankfully his distracting Chuck worked, but now Trent’s stuck with the problem of trying to think of something for them to do that isn’t shouting boo at kids, or their actual job of diligently keeping them safe from boo-boos.  
“Race you?” A poor substitute, but apparently Chuck is up for it, because he takes off very slowly, a toothy smirk on his face.   
“Tortoise versus tortoise race?” He’s maybe three feet away, but he still all but shouts to Trent.  
“Sounds good, but no actual stopping this time. That’s cheating.” Trent does shout, but that’s because he’s made up those three feet, and it was directly in Chuck’s ear. Best friends can get away with that kind of thing.   
The race, with pauses for occasionally doing their job, takes the rest of the day, with Trent coming a very close first. He’s not sure if Chuck let him win, but he’s quite pleased to be victorious either way. Sami and Kevin are finishing up at the kiosk, counting money and sorting through skates, whilst Trent and Chuck are herding stragglers off the ice, and sweeping the surface clean of any random debris as is custom for closing the rink.  
“Hey Chuckie?” Trent calls out once he’s cleared the last of the kids off the ice. Chuck looks over at him with a raised eyebrow, and props his broom up against the side of rink. “You wanna be Baby or Johnny?”  
“Get over here, and out of the corner, Baby.” Chuck laughs, holding his arms out. Trent skates over at full speed, and leaps. Being set back on the ice needs a little work, but because they’re best friends, he and Chuck nailed that Dirty Dancing lift.


	4. 4th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 4th of December: Asuka and Trent have a lovely lunch break together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Het Pairing (Trent Seven/Asuka), Terrible Nicknames, Semi-Public Sex.

They always get to the mall early, which was fine when Asuka worked in the other salon three blocks down. She’d walk to work, and only be slightly too early, but _her_ salon, well her’s and three other people’s but she is a part owner so it’s her’s, is on the third floor of the mall, which means getting in for seven is early-early. Unlike her man’s deli, the salon doesn’t open until eight-thirty, and even then, it’s not usually until nine that she has her first appointment. Naomi is generally busy from the word go, Marty’s a nine-a.m. start because the man likes his sleep, and Brandi and her nail appointments are so unpredictable that it’s hilarious, then there’s Asuka’s clients who are generally late morning, or early evening people, but she’ll be there early in case of walk-ins.

“You remember my nephew’s coming tonight, right?” The hand holding her’s tightens slightly, drawing her mind from remembering her first client of the day. It’ll be in the appointment book, so it doesn’t matter that she can’t remember the name.

“I remember…did you make the bed in the guest room?” She bumps his shoulder, and laughs as an uncomfortable look flashes in his eyes for a moment. It passes quickly, and his usual cool returns quickly.

“It’ll give him something to do while I’m making dinner.” He smiles at her, and Asuka shakes her head at him. “You’re working late?”

“No. Last appointment is at seven, so I’ll be home about eight.” They take escalators to the second floor, where the deli is tucked away in the far corner. It’s not a prime location, but word of mouth is a powerful thing, and the little deli is thriving.

“Oh? Good. Tyler’s flight gets in about seven. We can grab take-out, and come by to pick you up.” Trent opens the door, and holds it for her, letting Asuka enter first. By the smell of things, Kassius and Toni have been here for a while, working hard to prep for the day.

“Hmm…no pizza. No matter how much he wants it, _I_ do not.” Asuka looks at him blankly. Trent holds her blank stare for far longer than anyone else she’s ever met could. He breaks it with a chuckle, and a wink. “I’m serious.” She calls as he heads towards the back to hang up his coat.

“Duly noted, my peony.” He waves her over, and she follows him into the back, where Toni and Kassius are prepping some kind of olive salad that looks amazing.

“Morning.” Toni greets her with a brilliant smile, and Kassius with a jerk of his chin.

“I think peony is a new one.” Kassius chuckles, to which Asuka nods. She likes Kassius. He’s quiet, sweet, charming, and has a lovely beard. She’ll fully admit to her fondness for squishy, bearded white boys. Although, unlike her squishy, beardy white boy, Kassius doesn’t have impeccable style. There’s something she adores about the contrast the two of them make. Trent with his neatly trimmed hair, well-groomed moustache, suits, and occasional thick, cable-knit sweaters, and her hair with all the colours she can think of, and her clothes mismatched and chaotically beautiful. They make the most wonderfully inappropriate pair on the surface at least, because just under the surface they’re wonderfully the same and perfectly matched.

“It is.” Trent’s shucked his coat, and is donning his deli branded apron. “She made me a dried flower advent calendar this year.” He offers her a fond smile, and an olive he’d just spiked on a cocktail stick. Asuka takes both happily. The other thing she loves about Trent is the fact he is perfectly comfortable being part of _that_ couple with her. No matter how well you know them, they both can make people _slightly_ uncomfortable. They possibly shouldn’t treat that as a fun game to play, but it keeps them both happy and both parties being happy is the key to a long-term relationship. That and agreeing that thick, cable-knit sweaters are communal property, and are to be shared.

“Come up for lunch, about two.” Asuka presses a kiss to Trent’s cheek, and gives Toni and Kassius a quick goodbye.

The new salon is beside the nice coffee shop owned by the red-headed Irish girl. It looks incredibly festive now, but they’d taken their time to get it looking so jaunty, it wasn’t until Friday that the Brewed Awakening got in the Christmas spirit. Live and let Dye by comparison looks dowdy, but when she gets there, the situation has changed. Marty and Brandi are covered in tinsel, as is the front of the store. It’s a glorious mess of a million different colours, and dancing lights. Naomi pokes her head out of the store’s door.

“Damn. We did good work.” Naomi comes out of the store, and takes a couple of strands of tinsel from both Brandi and Marty. She wraps the ends around her neck, and flings an arm around each of their shoulders. Clearly she’d been inside plugging the lights in, and is out to celebrate the glorious transformation too.

“Well, I think we’re done here. Who’s getting the coffees in then?” Marty ducks out from under Naomi with a laugh, and spots Asuka. “Morning! We decorated, so you wanna get the coffee?”

“Peppermint all around?” Asuka grins at her colleagues as they chorus with yes. Becky’s coffeeshop has an unstated, but well-known lock-in for mall employees, so getting a round of lattes for the salon is easy. When she finally enters the salon, someone has set a playlist of chip-tune Christmas carols, and the whole place is festively stylish. Morning becomes lunchtime, which comes and goes. Salons, she’s worked in, are always busy at traditional lunch times. Women coming in for a trim, or a touch-up, or to get their nails done before they go back to the office. So, it was all hands-on deck, and now with the office workers cleared out, only Marty and Naomi are working.

“Afternoon, ladies.” The little bell above the door chimes, giving away Trent’s arrival before he speaks. “And Marty, I didn’t see you there in the corner.” Trent nods to Marty, and the English stylist shakes his head with a smile. “We going for lunch, my dearest?” Trent offers Asuka a hand, and presses a kiss to the back of hand when she takes his.

“I’ll be back in an hour.” Asuka assures her colleagues, and lets Trent lead her out. “Where do you wanna go?” He shrugs, and pulls her a little closer.

“Honestly? Home.” He chuckles, and she smirks at him. “What? My nephew is gonna be here soon, and I’m not going to be comfortable being intimate with him in the house.” At that Asuka laughs, and Trent pulls an indignant face.

“We can find a cheap motel like when we visited my family.” The first time she’d taken Trent to meet her parents had been interesting. He and her father had hit it off alarmingly well, even her mother, who has never liked her boyfriends, liked Trent enough to call him by his name.

“I’ve been pricing motels already.” He looks at her deathly serious, and she keeps the death stare up as long as she can, but this round is his, and she cracks into giggles first. “So, sustenance or intercourse?”

“You pose such a difficult question, Seven.” He presses a kiss to her hair, and lets go of her hand, to draw her closer to him.

“You know, seven eight nine.” He murmurs in her ear before kissing her with far more passion than should be allowed in the middle of the mall. “So, I ask again, food or a shag, Nine?” It’s a tempting offer, a damn tempting offer, but she should eat, but perhaps greater than that he was right when he said they wouldn’t be able to have sex with his nephew in the house. She winds her arms around his neck, and pecks the end of his nose with a light kiss, then slips away from him.

“Quickly.” She grabs his hands, and heads with purpose to the elevators.

“Quickly to what? I need to know what activity we’re engaging in.” Trent follows her, and raises an eyebrow at her floor selection. “Lunch it is…why are we eating quickly?”

“We’re having sushi because I’m feeling nostalgic, and then we’re going to fuck on the roof.” Asuka tells him plainly, and Trent barks a laugh.

“Isn’t the roof where all the smokers congregate?” Trent follows her along to the sushi place, and takes a seat opposite her. He picks some of the vegan options off the belt, and sets his debit card on the table. She’s in the mood to let him be gentlemanly, so she doesn’t bother setting her own card on the table in direct challenge. Their who’s paying death stare matches can be intense, and they don’t have time for one of those today.

“Didn’t you tell me that you used to finger pretty girls behind the smokers’ shed in high school?” The couple at the table behind Trent look over as she says that, but any offence they feel really is their own fault for listening in to a private conversation.

“That was a good twenty years ago…and I highly doubt you’d be satisfied with just being fingered.” The couple look even more uncomfortable. Trent’s staring over Asuka’s shoulder, so she supposes there’s another set of uncomfortable people sitting behind her.

“The principle remains the same…although, I doubt there is a shed.” She shrugs, and snags a tray of salmon nigiri. “But I’m sure there is a wall.”

“With significantly more of a drop.” Trent meets her eyes with a smile. He’s scared off the people behind her, winning this unspoken game. “Do you want me to take home the left-over tapenade tonight?” He changes the subject abruptly, bored of the crude conversation now that the game is won.

“Hmm…yes. Does Tyler like that kind of stuff?” Asuka’s not met Trent’s nephew yet. They’ve spoken on FaceTime, but that’s not the same as meeting. In person she’ll be able to see how much of his uncle there is there, which will determine how much she likes the boy.

“I think so…he’s come full-blown vegan now, which is nice.” At that Asuka takes another sushi from her tray, and lets her eyes fall closed, an exaggerated moan escaping her. “Of all the things to tease me with, dead fish is the least effective.”

“If only there was a Gregg’s. I could use sausage roll, it’s super effective.” Asuka laughs, and Trent smothers his guffaw in his cup of water.

Once they eat, they hop back in the elevator, and ride it as far up as it goes, then climb the stairs to the roof. Up there, there’s a small shelter that as soon as they’re inside, Asuka pounces on Trent, pulling him into a fierce kiss. He responds with as much fire as she has, and backs her up to one of the walls.

“This is hardly romantic.” Trent mutters, and slips a finger into her. He thrusts it in and out a few times, then adds another. “You’re wet.” He says it matter-of-factly, like he was commenting on the weather, and as ever the blandness of his voice resonates within her.

“Soaked. Fuck me.” Asuka pushes her knickers down a little, and hikes her skirt up some more. He offers her a look that many people would see as condescending, but she knows it’s riddled with lust. She skims her hands down the front of his body, to grope at his stiffening cock, pressing against his flies. “Let him out, and fuck me.” She teases freeing Trent’s cock, but doesn’t, instead she lets her head fall back, and gazes at him with hooded eyes.

“Condom. Honestly, woman…you’d think you’d know the routine by now.” Trent’s two fingers are still working inside of her, and his thumb is caressing her clit with lazy swipes. Asuka whines softly, and rocks her hips against his fingers. “So desperate, aren’t you?”

“Hurry up. I have a client at three, and I will leave you with blue balls.” She looks at him. A look she’s perfected over the years, but it is still the look she’d levelled him with the first time they’d met in London. He’d come into the salon she was working in, demanding a haircut without an appointment. His tone, his look, his stance, they’d all made it clear that he usually gets what he wants when he wants it, but she’d looked at him, and he’d sat down. For three hours he’d watched her work, not leering, not glaring, just watching. She’d felt then that for the first time in her life she’d met an equal, and that feeling was echoed by Trent. From that moment on, they’d been together. Love at first sight, like something from a fairy tale, although any fairy tale with them in it wasn’t for children. He pulls his fingers from her, and tugs on a condom. Before she can voice a complaint, he’s pressing her back against the wall, and filling her in one slow, firm stroke.

“Better?” His breath is warm, and tingling in her ear, and she feels so much better. She always feels so much better when she can feel him inside her, can feel him pressed along her body, his soft warmth pressed against her firmer, colder skin. He withdraws a little, and then presses back in, groaning as she tightens around him.

“Quickly.” Her hands tangle in his hair, pulling him into a kiss, and earning her a groan from deep in his chest. His hands slip beneath her shoulder blades, pulling her closer. Asuka curses not taking off her panties, as she can’t hook her legs about him, instead she can only bow her legs and pulls him as close as possible. It’s hurried, frantic, desperate, and entirely what she’d expected. The feeling of Trent’s cock inside of her, the way his breath makes the skin of her neck damp, the scratch and itch of his beard, the tickle of his moustache, it’s perfect. Asuka keens in his ear, and slips a hand between them, her finger teasing her clit, bringing her orgasm closer than just his cock alone could.

“Are you close? You’re so quiet in public…it’s so hard to tell.” Trent’s words draw the softest little keening sound from Asuka. The idea that they’ve _not_ had public sex so often that he knows damn well when her body is on a hair-trigger. He knows she’s close, he knows that all it’ll take is a few thrusts, a few heavy words in her ear, or better yet one of his thick, elegant fingers to pass over her clit. She tightens around him, shuddering, and shivering almost the moment his finger rubs over her clit. One rub would have been enough, but he is either cruel or kind, because he keeps rubbing until she can feel his orgasm surging through him. When it’s passed, he stays with his face against her shoulder, making soft contented noises as she messes up and smooths down his hair. Once he’s recovered enough, Trent withdraws from her, and pulls the used condom off. The next thing she’s aware of is him gently wiping her wet thighs with a Kleenex. He purposefully swipes over her clit, making her moan and shudder.

“Tease.” She groans, and steps away from him to right her clothes. “We should go. Someone’s going to want have a cigarette.”

“I’m not sure I don’t want one.” Trent mutters, hiding the tissues wrapped condom in the small trash can in the smokers’ shelter. “C’mon, piggyback down the stairs.” He squats down, and lets her clamber on his back, carrying her down the few stairs as her legs aren’t quite working properly.

Asuka manfully resists the urge to whine once they get into the elevator, the last thing she wants to do is go back to work, and by the reluctance Trent showed about pressing the right floor buttons, he’s in no hurry either.

“Toni’s been talking about a staff night out, by the way.” Trent takes her lipstick from her, and fixes her messed up lips with practiced efficiency. Asuka raises an eyebrow, and Trent takes the hint to continue with Toni’s staff party. “He thinks it’d be nice if all the mall staff got together, you know. Solidarity and all that. Kassius warned him that European sense of community might be mistaken for communism here.” Asuka snorts a laugh at that, and is sorely tempted to stop the elevator so she can snuggle. After sex she always wants to snuggle, but she does have a client in five minutes, and Marty and Brandi will need to have some manner of a lunch break.

“Sounds fun…I’ll mention it to the others.” She kisses him goodbye with little more than a gentle brush of her lips against his, and heads towards the salon. She can see this staff party going one of two ways, one it’ll be awesome, or two it’ll be terrible. Either way they’ll be there see how it goes down.

Marty takes his break when she gets back into the salon, but is seems to be cut very short, as he hurries back into the salon after only thirty minutes. The second time since they’ve opened Marty’s come back red-faced and unlike himself.

“You’re _violently_ red.” Asuka smiles over at him. He genuinely is awfully red, like a teenager who’s just bumped into their crush. She chances a quick look out the window, and offers the bewildered looking Kenny a wave. “Did something happen?”

“Something to make the great seducer, Marty, call me daddy, Scurll turn crimson? No.” Brandi smirks at him as she pulls her coat on, heading for the door. “I’ll be back in an hour. I’m gonna grab the groceries for him, but I’ll be bringing back cookies, so I can hear all about who’s rocking your boat, Marty.”

“Fuck you, Brandi” Marty mumbles without any heat, and flops in the nearest chair. Brandi pats him on the head, and leaves with a cheerful wink. They’ve maybe five minutes before the next client arrives. She’s always a little late, and always incredibly apologetic.

“So…” Asuka sits in the chair beside Marty’s, and gives him her sweetest smile. “I know his name, if you want it.” That gets Marty’s attention, and he sits up a little straighter. Asuka leans over and pats him on the knee. He’s a sweet boy, and she thinks he’ll be good for Kenny. If nothing else with Marty’s help she might actually persuade Kenny to not cut his hair himself after he’s had her dye it for him. “It’s Kenny, and he’s been my client for years.” Asuka shrugs, and tries to hide the smile that wants to form on her lips at how interested Marty looks. She knows that Marty is debating pumping her for information about the man he’s so clearly very interested in. “The colours are always more important than the style to him, so maybe you can do something about that.” He blushes slightly, and nods lightly. She decides to change the subject abruptly, knowing it’ll catch Marty off guard. “So, Trent says we should have a staff night out some time. You up for it?” She grins over at Marty, hoping he’s going to agree, and not be too concerned with who is going to be coming to this staff party, because she’s in the mood to play at matchmaker, and she knows Trent will be up for it too. Hooking their friends up is a wonderful, and preferred pastime of theirs.

“Yeah, yeah, sounds good.” Marty mutters as he gets to his feet to welcome the client they’d been waiting on, not paying any attention to Asuka as she sends a text off to Kenny to tell him he’s coming to this staff party later in the month, whether he wants to or not.


	5. 5th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5th of December: Drinking on a work night always had consequences, but they seem to be good ones for Will.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Pre-Slash (Kazuchika Okada/Will Ospreay), Fluff, Drinking, Senpai is Noticing.

Will hadn’t known what or where the exchange was going to be when he’d signed up for it. He’d expected a million things, but working in a mall sushi restaurant wasn’t one of them. It’s been interesting so far. He’s learned a lot about preparing the fish, he’d like to learn a lot more, but they’re short on wait-staff, so he’s often out in the front of house. The nice thing about a sushi place with a belt is that you don’t really have to deal with customers all that much, but it does mean he’s stuck trying to make sure no-one’s trying to cheat the system and claim they only ate cheap California rolls, and not the pricier items. It can get _kind of_ awkward, but he’s getting better at being stern with the attempting cheats.

Not there are any left, the restaurant closed about thirty minutes ago, and he’s finishing up cleaning the tables before he heads to the back to pick out whatever leftovers he wants for dinner. He’s hoping that Okada will stick around and eat with him, but sometimes he doesn’t, instead Okada will head to the TGIF’s that’s conjoined on the ground floor and hang out with his weird friends from the ice rink. Will would be lying if he said he understood what the incredibly cool Okada saw in those two, but he seems to enjoy their company, and Will likes them enough to put up with them, at least when mitigated by Okada.

With the last table clean, the head chef takes his leave of the restaurant. Will bows to the old man as he shuffles out. He’s a nice old man, but incredibly intimidating when he decides to be. Even Okada is on his best behaviour around him. Once the old man is out of sight, Okada comes out from the back with a platter of left over sushi.

“You wanna stay for dinner, Will?” Okada asks, and Will manages to nod, if not answer. He gets a little tongue-tied around the older man, but that’s entirely understandable. Okada is cool, tall, handsome, charming, and blessed with kindest nature Will’s ever encountered. He’s exactly what he could want in a mentor. “Cool, take this and pick a table.” Okada offers him the platter, and heads to the back again to collect the condiments. Will goes with the nearest table, solely because it’s closest, and not because his knees feel a little weak at the thought of having dinner with Okada.

“Where’s Little Kazu?” Trent’s voice returns the strength to Will’s legs. Dinner with Trent, Chuck, and Okada isn’t something to get worked up over. The two Americans seem to be utterly immune to the spell Okada casts over people without realising it. Will’s seen it a million times. People will come in for lunch, and Okada will be playing greeter, or helping out as wait-staff, and those people will end up forgetting to do anything but gaze longingly at Okada’s back. Will’s still not immune to Okada, and he works with the man. He’s still not worked up the courage to even _think_ Okada’s first name, never mind calling him by a nickname like _Little Kazu_.

“Here.” Okada emerges from the back, and sets down a tray with soy sauce, wasabi, and several pairs of chopsticks. “Where’s Chuck?”

“He had to run to buy something to drink.” Trent pulls out a seat, and looks the sushi over. “Looks good, man. You let Little William make any yet?”

“Not yet.” Will cuts in, mostly because when he’s called William it makes him think of his mother, and how much trouble he’s in when he’s William and not Will.

“He’s getting very good. I ate the ones he made in practice this morning. Very close to being sellable.” Okada turns to Will with a smile that makes him feel three feet taller and filled with helium.

“Oh?” Not even Trent’s tone, which clearly is _almost good enough for a mall_ , can’t deflate the flush of pride that’s in Will just then.

“If I’d known we were eating with the kid, I’d have bought soda.” Chuck on the other hand manages it in a single sentence. “Evening, William, Little Kazu.” Chuck sets a box of beer down on the table, and dispense a can to everyone. “Now, no getting the kid drunk.” He winks at Okada. Okada’s eyes widen for a second, and he responds by shaking his head, and gathering up a pair of chopsticks.

“Please, eat.” He waits patiently for someone else to take a piece first. It’s not a long wait, as Chuck takes up one, and eats it.

“This one of yours yet, Will?” He asks. This time Will answers by shaking his head, and Chuck nods slightly. “Serious business that fish chopping, I get it.” He takes another piece.

“I think soon we’ll be eating Will’s work.” Okada adds, and Chuck nods, having enough manners to not talk with his mouth full. Will’s not overly hungry. He rarely is around Okada, his stomach always feels too full of butterflies for food to be able to fit. His beer seems to empty far faster than anyone else’s, and mentally he tells himself to slow down, but he’s on an afternoon shift tomorrow, so maybe a little hangover won’t be too bad. “Did you hear about the staff party the deli guys are planning?” Chuck asks, and offers Will another beer, which he takes gratefully. The one thing he really likes about Chuck and Trent is how freely the beers flow with them, that and how freely Okada laughs with enough beer in him. Usually he’s so collected, but with a beer in his hand and his cheeks rosy, Okada is almost gleeful.

“Party? I’ve not heard anything.” Will sips at his beer, and glances over at Okada. “Did you hear about a party, Okada?”

“This isn’t a party, _yet_.” Okada downs his beer, and takes the already opened one from Trent. “The deli party though, I know.” He sips at his second beer more slowly, a smile blossoming over his lips. “We’re be going, of course. We must represent.” A grin and a wink are thrown Will’s way, making him hope neither Trent nor Chuck notice the blush that Will can feel on his cheeks.

“Yeah, I think I’m going too…what about you, Chuckie?” Trent stabs a sushi, and chuckles at the wince Okada makes. “What? You know I’m shit at these sticks…I could use my fingers, but.” He shrugs, and dunks the piece of sushi in the soy sauce.

“What kind of best friend would I be if I left you alone, Trent.” Chuck does use his fingers to pick up a piece of sushi, and pops it into his mouth.

“I’d not be alone, I’d have Little Kazu with me, wouldn’t I?” Trent turns to Okada, and gets a mild smile of concession.

“And Will. We would be your two best friends.” Okada smirks at Chuck, but all Chuck does is rolls his eyes, and scoff another piece of sushi.

“You wouldn’t last ten minutes without me.” Chuck tells Trent. Trent pulls a face, and nods firmly. Theirs is a solid friendship that knows its worth to both parties, even if both parties are mad as a box of frogs.

Several beers, and definitely not enough food later, they’re playing some kind of odd drinking game that appears to be a simplified rock, paper, scissors, but Will’s no idea what it actually is, all he knows is he’s losing. He’s with a doubt several beers up on everyone else, and feeling it. The restaurant is gently muted, and his eyesight feels kind of like playing a game on a computer not powerful enough to run it. His stomach is not quite settled, like everything inside of him is uncomfortably shifting around, looking for somewhere to escape to.

“Here.” A cup of water appears in front of him. “Drink this _slowly_.” Okada sounds gently stern. Will watches him carefully, wondering when Okada had shifted to sit beside him. He’s not complaining, but he doesn’t remember it. “I don’t know what they’re playing now…sometimes it’s best to not try to keep up, you know?” Okada picks the cup of water up, and holds up to Will’s hand. “Have a little.”

“He okay, Little Kazu?” Trent sounds concerned, and Will offers a nod.

“I’m good, just _way_ too drunk.” He thinks that was coherent, and when Chuck nods, and gestures to the empty cans in front of him, Will’s pleased with his drunken understandability.

“I am entirely unsurprised you’re drunk, Little Will. That’s an awful lot of empties for a Tuesday. No more beer for you until Friday.” Chuck tells him firmly, and Will pokes his tongue out at him. He takes the water from Okada with what is undoubtedly a far too big, far too goofy smile, but it makes Okada smile back at him.

“Have you been this drunk before?” In his drunken state Will has to be imagining the concern in Okada’s voice, but he’d like to think he isn’t. Okada is a sweet man, and would be worried about him, drunk or not.

“He’s English…I think legally they have to get blackout drunk by the age of ten over there.” Trent laughs. Okada looks scandalised, and Will’s not certain his giggling is helping the matter. “He’ll be fine, and if you’re _that_ worried, take him home.”

“Or I could…I’ve a spare bed.” Chuck offers. Will definitely imagined Okada’s jaw tightening at that comment, and he for sure didn’t see the sly smirk shared by Chuck and Trent. “And worst comes to worst, me and Trent will _both_ take care of him.”

“He will come home with me.” Okada clasps Will’s free hand tightly. Will’s not sure if he missed something, because it feels like he’s missing something from this scene. One-minute Chuck is offering to take care of him, and now Okada is holding his hand. He turns to Okada to question this move, but Okada’s eyebrows are drawn, and his lips are set in a firm line. Whatever he missed was serious, so Will elects to leave it, and keeps sipping at his water. It’s better for him to not get involved. A conversation that happens too quickly for him to follow occurs, but he doesn’t overly care. Okada is still holding his hand, sipping a beer, and laughing at whatever silly story Chuck’s telling. It must be a good story because Okada makes his best laugh, the belly deep one that Will has earned three times. He’s kept count, which is weird, but Okada is awesome, and Will wants him to like him as much as he likes him. It’s all a bit too confusing for his drunk mind to grasp, so he lets it all happen around him, and sips at his water, enjoying the feeling of Okada’s hand clasping his.

Some time later, Chuck and Trent leave, taking the last of the sushi and the beer with them. Okada tells Will to stay where he is, and Will has no problem with that order. He stays put, and waits for Okada to come, the pleasant memories of Okada’s hand holding his on his mind.

“Hey? You okay?” Okada comes into focus, and Will nods slightly. “Good.” Okada ruffles his hair. There’s a look on Okada’s face, a look that Will’s never seen, but he likes. He wants that look again, and again. He wants it every single day, but he’s not drinking to get it. Once he’s sobered up he’s going to have to work out a plan on how to get it again. “C’mon then, lets get you home.” Okada slips an arm around him, and pulls Will to his feet. “You’re going to have to excuse the mess.” He warns. Will wonders if he should let Okada know that he’s probably capable of stumbling to the lift without being half-carried, but he decides against it. He’s not going to get the chance to be pressed this close to Okada anytime soon, unless he counts this up-coming staff-doo, and he thinks he does, because there he can get drunk again, and being drunk with Okada is awesome.


	6. 6th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 6th of December: Dean's favourite regular is late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Pre-Slash (Dean Ambrose/Finn Bálor), Fluff, Drinking, Bar tending is boring.

Bartending, for him, isn’t so much a career as it is a job. Dean’s met career bartenders who dream owning cool little bars, but he’s not one of those guys. His dreams aren’t what most people would dream _normal_ , but whatever. Some people like hunting aliens in the desert, or Bigfoot in the mountains, and he’s one of those people. It’s a passion, and passions aren’t well paid, so he’s always used bartending as a way to supplement his meagre cryptozoology research salary.

He’d come to this town on a tip-off about something called _The Demon_ , and he’d expected to debunk it quickly enough. What happened was that Dean found enough evidence to be interested, but not enough to prove or disprove anything. So, he’s still there, still working in the TGIF’s, still trying to find out if this _demon_ exists. There is one other reason Dean is still in town, and that is Finn.

The Irish man is intriguing. He is easy-going smile, friendly nature, and wonderful way with kids seem at odds with his fondness for having a drink, and staying out as late as he does. Often, he’s the last customer to leave. If that’s because he’s taken to walking Dean home to continue the conversation they’d started at the bar, or because he’s a raging alcoholic would be up for debate if he ever had more than two pints. For all Dean is intrigued by Finn, he seems to be as intrigued by Dean, but they’ve never done anything about the whole situation. Six months in and they’re still dancing around each other.

The bar is busy enough, but today Finn is late. He’s usually there about six, but it’s gone seven. The other regulars are all there. Dean can almost psychically tell what they’ll want to drink, and when they’ll want it. Two pints for the big guys who sit in the corner near the fruit machine when they come in, another two and a plate of fries an hour later. A round of mimosas for the staff of the men’s boutique on the second floor, they won’t have another full round, just a couple more for those who want, then they’ll leave. The girls from the coffee shop will have a fruit juice and a pint or some fruity cocktail depending which one is driving. Bottled beers for the sushi/ice rink gang, beers that will be replaced regularly. The deli staff will all have craft beer apart from whoever is driving, today there’s some teenage looking kids with them, so there’s two sodas as well, they stay usually until the weird girlfriend of the English one shows up. Finally, the older guys from the hunting store on the second floor stop in for a beer every night. He likes the regulars, but they’re not Finn. He’s the best regular, and he’s late.

“Heya.” Finn comes in with a smile, and some people Dean only vaguely recognises, and Seth. Seth is someone Dean met years ago on a ghost hunting podcast, and has vaguely stayed in touch since then. He thinks two of unknown men are guys from the music store, and if he had to guess the curly haired one is from the comic book store, his name badge is still pinned to his shirt, which confirms where he works, but Dean thinks his name is probably not _OmegamanX_. “My usual, and uh…do _any_ of you drink?”

“Three cokes, and…Seth?” One of the music store guys says, and Seth adds a fourth coke to the order.

“I’ll take them over.” Finn tells them, and all four of them head over to the booths. “I’m gonna have to stand you up for a while, Dean.” Finn hands Dean the money for the drinks, and gives him a gentle smile.

“I’m sure I’ll get over it.” Dean winks, and turns to the next customer. He hears Finn’s chuckle as he leaves the bar area, but Dean’s too busy to see if it was more than that.

Dean’s kept busy. A bunch of new girls seem to have started in the women’s clothing store that caters to teenagers, and they’re loudly tanking cocktail pitchers. He hates making cocktails, and would much rather just give the women the bottles and let them do it themselves, but that would be against company policy. The weird girlfriend of the English deli guy arrives just after eight, her arm is linked with a handsome man in a nice coat with a better beard. They head over towards her boyfriend, who comes over to the bar a few minutes later with the empty glasses from his table.

“Evening, barkeep.” He smiles, and Dean nods. “Four more pints of the on-tap craft, two cokes, and an orange juice, please.” Dean starts fulfilling the order. “Busy night?”

“Busy enough.” Dean nods, and takes the money, and healthy tip, when it’s offered to him. “You need a tray?” The guy might be as weird as his girlfriend, but he does tip damn well.

“I’ll help.” The weird girlfriend says, and grabs some of the glasses. With his offer for a tray declined, Dean puts the odd couple from his mind and focusses on his next customer. He does spare a glance at Finn though. The Irish man is laughing at something someone said, and throwing and arm around the guy from the comic book store. Comic book store guy looks _uncomfortable,_ and shoots an awkward look over at the deli table. The next time Dean looks over at Finn, the deli guys have joined his table, but both comic book guy and the man in the nice coat have left.

For the rest of his shift, he glances over at Finn’s table when he has time, and sees that little has changed. The deli lot, weird girlfriend and kids included, seem to fit right in, and the whole party look like they’re having lots of fun. They don’t order too many drinks, but they’ve had a fair bit of food, which clearly drew hilarious comments, because from the bar Dean could hear Finn’s laugh. About an hour before closing, they leave, and Finn comes over to the bar with an apologetic smile, and a request for another pint.

“You’ve had a fair bit tonight…lemme know it you need walking home, Finn.” Dean grins at him. This really is the most Dean’s seen Finn drink in the six months he’s been working here.

“Like I’d ask anyone else.” Finn smiles at him, and takes a long drink of his beer. “So, did any of the Oil Slick guys tell you about the Christmas party they’re planning?”

“A pretentious deli party? They better not be having it here. I don’t want to even think about how many of their clients are called Moonflower, or Cuthbert.” Dean shudders, and smirks when Finn snorts a laugh into his beer.

“No…a staff thing.” Finn sets his glass down, and folds his arms on the bar. “They’re planning on arranging a thing with the people who work in the mall…They’re thinking about sending out invitations, and renting somewhere. A whole thing.” The idea is nice, but Dean can’t really see it working. It might be nice to know the people who work in the mall as more than customers or security guys, but they all have separate lives for a reason.

“Good luck to them.” Dean shrugs, and ponders on if that had been Finn trying to invite him to this party or not. If it was, he probably thinks Dean turned him down, and if it wasn’t, he probably thinks Dean isn’t interested. The rest of Dean’s shift they spend conversing about silly things; comic books, tv shows, sports, normal bland conversation that doesn’t really matter, but feels important because he gets to learn little things about Finn from them.

“I’ll need you to walk me home, Deano.” Finn finishes the last of his pint, and slides the empty glass over to Dean, when the boss announces that it’s closing time, and everyone has to get out.

“I’ll be as quick as I can. You’ve work in the morning after all, and I don’t want you passing out in a hedge.” Dean returns the smile Finn’s wearing, and gets on with cleaning the bar.  

Finn’s leaning on the wall of the mall, a lazy smile on his lips when Dean approaches him. He’d been expecting Finn to wait here, if only because Finn always waits for him there, even when it’s as windy as it is tonight and he could lurk in the oversized doorway of the mall.

“Are you planning on heading to that party then?” Finn asks him, offering him a light for the unlit cigarette between Dean’s lips. Dean considers for a moment what he should say. There’s only one reason he’d go to that party, and if Finn isn’t going to give it to him, he’s not going.

“Are you inviting me?” Dean asks. Finn meets his eyes with a lazily smile. It would be cliché to say that a spark passed between them, but it did. A spark hotter than the one Dean uses to light his cigarette. Dean inhales the smoke, and waits, the few seconds Finn doesn’t speak feels like hours.

“Of course, I am.” Finn smiles at him, and nudges Dean with his shoulder. “Wear something nice, eh...first dates deserve more better than work clothes.”


	7. 7th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 7th of December: Wade breaks routine, but Sheamus does get an early Christmas present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Slash (Wade Barrett/Sheamus) Fluff.

“Morning, Sheamus.” Charlotte is the first person to speak to him all morning. It’s seven-forty so that’s not too bad, but still it feels weird that he’s been up since five, and spent like an hour in the gym. Wade hadn’t been there, which was unusual, but he’s sure they’ll catch up at lunch time, and failing that, they’ll meet in the pub after work. It’s not like he won’t have a chance to speak to Wade, it’s just that they have a routine, and they’ve not screwed it up in just over a year. It seems almost rude that Wade would mess it up without calling or at least texting.

“Morning, Char. How’s Becky the day?” Sheamus supposes that he should put Wade to the back of his mind for now, and get on with starting his shift.

“She’s good, and wants you to visit for lunch. She said she’s got something for you to try…I’m guessing something from home.” Charlotte gives him a smile, and Sheamus nods at her. He sets his phone to vibrate and pops it in his pocket. Wade might text to let him know what happened this morning before their usual lunch, which would be appreciated if nothing else.

The morning passes with no vibrations in his pocket, and no Wade popping in to explain in person why he made such a drastic break from routine. The thoughts in Sheamus’ head are circular and probably not true. There’s very little chance Wade was murdered, or mugged, or got lost, or any of crime-based explanations Sheamus comes up with. What is likely is something happened, like he missed his bus, or he lost his keys, or something like that. He’s sure that once Wade shows up at lunch, he’ll get a simple explanation that’ll make him feel silly for being as worried as some Mills and Boons main character.

On his way to lunch, Charlotte reminds him to go see his cousin Becky. So, he sends Wade a quick text that their usual sushi lunch is being changed to a coffee shop lunch instead. He’s surprised that he gets nothing back, but maybe Wade’s still busy, or maybe he’s on a different shift.

“Shea! It’s so nice of you to come up and see your wee cousin.” Becky gives him a hug when he enters the coffee shop. Her loud, gleeful tone draws some looks, but nothing more. The Brewed Awakening’s customers are used to the owner being a little loud sometimes. “C’mon, and I’ll get you some tea. What you wanting to eat? The soup today is good. Broth with the little pearl barley in, like Grandma used to make, you remember?” Her gentle babble soothes his concerns over Wade, and Sheamus finds himself with a bowl of broth and a couple of slices of bread that are wonderfully thick and crusty.

“How’s things then?” The soup is exactly as their grandmother had made, and it brings back memories of chasing a much younger Becky around with worms.

“Not bad. Charli’s dad is coming for Christmas, and we finally got the tree done the other night…how are you, Shea? I’ve not heard anything in a while, and well…you know how it is.” She smiles, and takes a mouthful of her own bowl of soup.

“Family, eh?” He laughs, and she kicks him under the table. “I’m good. Living quietly, which is the best way, isn’t it?”

“You still with that guy from the gym? What’s his name…Wade?” She’s dunking the thick crust into her soup, not really looking at him, and Sheamus is very glad of that. If she looked up just now he’s no idea what he’d look like.

“I…” He sighs, sets his spoon down. “He’s not texted all day.”

“Does he usually?” Becky looks at him oddly, and Sheamus shrugs.

“He missed our workout. He _never_ misses a workout, and I’m not worried, I’m just…” Sheamus grabs his spoon up again, and mentally berates himself for sounding like the woman in a romantic comedy. All he needs is to go rushing up to the gym, and demanding to see if Wade’s there.

“Maybe he’s sick?” Becky shrugs. Sheamus forces himself to nod as though he’d not considered that possibility before. “Are you doing Christmas together?”

“I don’t think we’re at that stage, Becky.” Sheamus mutters, dropping little bits of bread in his soup to soak up the liquid.

“You’ve been together a year now, right.” Becky’s resting her chin on her fist, looking at him the same way she used to look at bugs; fascination and minor disgust combined. “When did you move in?”

“I haven’t.” Sheamus answers quickly, and quietly offers a prayer to whoever is listening that Becky drops this, because he doesn’t want to talk about this with her. She raises an eyebrow, and abruptly changes the subject, telling him the gossip from home instead.  

He’s embarrassed by how much willpower it takes to not head up to the gym and just see if Wade made it to work. He manages to go straight back down to the sporting goods store, and give Charlotte her lemon-poppy seed muffin from the Becky.

The rest of his shift passes much like the first half of it. His phone is in his pocket, and his mind is on Wade. He’s not sure if he’s worried, or offended, or something else entirely. He’s not happy that’s for sure, but his stomach is wriggly, like it’s filled with the worms he used to chase Becky with. This isn’t worth getting worked up over. He and Wade are together, but they’re not surgically attached. If Wade needs some time alone, Sheamus will let him have it. When he’s ready, he’ll come and tell Sheamus what he was up to, or he won’t. He might be ghosting Sheamus. He might have packed up all of his stuff, and taken the night bus out of town.

Sheamus shakes his stupid thoughts away. This stupid brooding is going to get him nowhere. What he’s going to do is finish work, and then head to the pub. If Wade’s there, great. If Wade’s not there, it’s less than great. Either way, Sheamus is going to have a pint, or eight but that depends on what Wade does.

Dean, the barman, looks surprised to see Sheamus come in on his own, he keeps glancing behind him like he was expecting Wade to show up any moment. Sheamus waves away his voiced concern over Wade’s whereabouts, and takes their usual fruit machine table. He feels more than a little like a loser sitting at the table by himself, but it’s a habit. He pulls his phone out, and considers sending another message to Wade. Maybe he’s gotten bored of him, maybe he’s dead, or dying, or still working.

“What a fucking shit of a day.” Or sitting in his normal seat, with his normal pint of beer, and his normal wry smirk.

“Oh?” Sheamus’ worm stomach vanishes, and he once more curses being a female cliché.

“Can I bitch?” Wade takes a long drink, and Sheamus nods, giving him permission to bitch away. “Thank you. _So_ , you know the couple upstairs, with the ugly little dog? Well, Larry, the dog, made a run for it this morning, and the woman comes knocking on my door asking if I’ve seen her son.” Wade takes another _long_ drink. “Which I learn a good ten minutes after I miss my bus is the dog, and then thirty minutes after I miss my bus that the husband had taken the dog with him on his morning run for a change.” Another long drink that drains the glass. Sheamus nudges his own pint over. “So, I hurry to get the next bus, and realise when I’m on the damn thing, and going to text you to bitch that my bloody phone is still in the house. You sure?” Wade gestures to the pint.

“I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t.” Sheamus tells him, hoping he’s not looking as relieved as he feels.

“Thanks, love. So, I’ve no phone, I’m running late, and when I get in the boss tells me that he needs me to work over lunch because one of the other trainers is sick.” A heft dent is made in the contents of Sheamus’ pint on this drink, and Wade has the grace to look slightly embarrassed. “So, I work through lunch, then I had to go get your Christmas present, and now _finally_ I’m getting some much-needed stress relief.” Wade grins at him, and sets a smallish red envelope down on the table.

“Christmas present? I’ve not even thought about what to get you.” The envelope is about the right size to put a gift card in, which isn’t exactly the best present, but it’s better than nothing. Sheamus takes it up, and moves to put it in his pocket, but Wade’s hand stops him.

“Open it.” There’s an odd look on Wade’s face, a mix of excitement and trepidation.

“It’s not Christmas.” Sheamus stares back at him, trying to work out what could be in this envelope.

“It’s only part of your present.” Wade’s eyes are staring straight back at him, the same mix of emptions in them. “Please, open it.” Sheamus shrugs, opens the envelope, and tips a key out into his hand. “It’s maybe presumptuous of me, but my place is closer, and bigger, but if you wanna…I mean...bloody hell.” Wade downs the last of Sheamus’ pint. “Move in with me, eh?” Sheamus laughs at him rather than give a proper answer. “If you’re saying no, be less of an arse about it.” Wade snaps, and tries to drink from the empty pint glass. “I need another beer.” He makes a move to stand up, and Sheamus clamps his hand around Wade’s arm.

“It’s my round.” He says it firmly, and pulls his keys from his pocket. He keeps his eyes on Wade’s as he threads his new key onto the ring. “Your place is nearer, and my lease is up in like three weeks.”

“I know…I was talking to Becky. We had plans for this to go much smoother.” Wade smiles at him, and Sheamus shakes his head. Being invited to lunch with Becky was a good cover for going to get the key cut, but it does mean that both his cousin and his boss are aware that his boyfriend was going to ask him to move in before he did.

“It went well enough.” Sheamus slips his keys back in his pocket, and shifts his hand so that it’s not grabbing Wade, but rather holding his hand. “I mean we’re getting our first Christmas together, so that’s something.”

“The second half of your present is a moving company for the day, by the way. Don’t be expecting anything under the tree from me.” Wade laughs, and squeezes Sheamus’ hand. Sheamus lets go, and gets to his feet.

“I am, but I don’t think you can wrap a blowjob.” Sheamus laughs as he heads to the bar to get the next round in. Even if it makes him the swooning lady in the story of his life, his hand is in his pocket, instinctively clutching his Christmas present, and he doesn’t care.


	8. 8th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 8th of December: Sasha is bored of watching the same Christmas movie over and over, so she bugs her girlfriend into relieving her boredom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Fem-Slash (Sasha Banks/Bayley), Semi-Public Sex.

“The Christmas movies this year suck.” Sasha’s deliberate annunciation jolts Bayley from her staring at the screen in front of her. “They’re getting worse every year.” Sasha sighs, and comes leans her elbows on the ticket counter of the little office Bayley’s sitting in. “I’m bored.”

“Well…uh…you could check the popcorn.” Bayley offers, and Sasha rolls her eyes. “Fine…you could clean the toilets.” The bathrooms are always a little rank, but that’s one of the problems of a public facing business.

“Yeah, no. I’ll leave that for after the movie finishes.” Sasha sighs again, and Bayley looks at her pointedly. “I’m bored.” Sasha says it again. She’s wearing an annoyed scowl, one that twists her delicate features in the cutest, poutiest manner. “Stop me from being bored, Bayley.”

“I’m working.” Bayley mutters, turning back to the computer, and getting on with orders. She can _hear_ Sasha narrowing her eyes, and planning long before she comes into the ticket booth. “I’m still working.” Bayley offers her a sweet smile, hoping to distract from whatever it is that Sasha has planned.

“You keep on going then.” Sasha smiles just as sweetly back, and Bayley has the sinking feeling that the orders won’t be finished until Sasha has to go and collect the 3D glasses from the customers. She slips under the desk, and grins up at Bayley.

“Sasha! This is a public facing window.” Bayley pushes her chair away from the desk, hoping that Sasha will understand that this is a bad idea. She doesn’t. Instead, Sasha takes a hold of the bottom of Bayley’s pants, and pulls them down. Bayley swears to never wear elasticated waists again.

“Well…look at that. _Someone_ was hoping to get lucky.” Sasha grins, and pulls Bayley’s chair back to the desk.

“I was not hoping to get lucky, I was hoping to get laundry done on lunch.” Bayley scowls down at her girlfriend, but does part her thighs on Sasha’s insistence. Sasha chuckles, and laps at Bayley’s inner thigh.

“Sure…laundry…not that you wanted me to eat you out in front of the public.” Sasha uses her fingers to part the outer lips of Bayley’s pussy, and licks a stripe from top to bottom. “Remember to keep it down, Bay…don’t want the public looking.” Sasha snickers, and drives her tongue into Bayley, making her breath catch.

“ _Sasha_.” The way Bayley says her name is halfway between an admonishment and a plea. She stares down at Sasha, and Sasha looks up at her. There’s a gleam of mischief in her eyes, some spark of gleeful misadventure, that lights a fire in Bayley. Sasha’s tongue writhes inside her. It thrusts in and out, it flickers, and dances over the entrance to her body, but it studiously ignores her clitoris. She’s torn about what she wants. The feeling of Sasha teasing her, of that quick, clever tongue delving in and out, probing and teasing every part of her passage is wonderful, but she wants it to lave at her clit. She wants both. She wants more than Sasha can give, and will settle for no less than everything. “More, baby, please.” Bayley’s hands find their way into Sasha’s hair, and they tangle in the long vibrant strands. Sasha pulls away from her, grinning.

“I thought you-“

“Use your mouth for something else, baby.” Bayley all but begs. She looks nervously out the window, hoping that no-one is standing just out of her field of vision and getting a free show.

“Sure.” Sasha thrusts a pair of fingers into Bayley. Her most lust fuelled smile spreading over her lips as Bayley’s back arches off the chair. “Public, babe.” She teases, and sucks on Bayley’s clit. Her tongue flickers over it quickly, and Bayley tightens her hold on Sasha’s hair. Another finger enters her. Her clit is nibbled by Sasha, tiny, delicate nibbles that make her shiver. Her tongue presses against Bayley’s clit as those two fingers move in and out, pressing against the top of her vagina, rubbing at the most sensitive parts inside. Sasha’s tongue, that clever, _clever_ tongue flicks, teases, taunts Bayley. She wants to moan, to writhe, to let her girl know just how good this is, but the window is so close, the public _just_ there. She tries, she tries _so_ hard to hold out, to keep her orgasm at bay, but it comes over her in a flood that has her shivering, and gasping. Sasha holds on, keeps her lips around Bayley’s clit, sucking, teasing, working her all the way through her orgasm. When she finally lets up, Bayley feels like jelly. She waits the aftershocks out, staring at the beautiful woman she loves on her knees, her hand up her skirt, and her fingers working her own clit.

“You still bored?” Bayley asks with a lazily sated smile on her lips. Sasha stares up at that, her lips glistening slightly, and Bayley wheels her chair back a little more. “Sit on the desk.”

“On the desk? You gonna kneel for me?” Sasha’s voice is breathy, close to being nothing but keening moans.

“Not right now.” Bayley pulls herself closer once more, and bats Sasha’s hand out of the way. “I’m gonna finger this sweet little pussy, baby girl” She slips two fingers into Sasha’s sopping wet passage, and _wriggles_ them. Sasha falls forward slightly, resting against Bayley in an awkward curl. “Shhh…you gotta be real quiet Sasha, otherwise people might look.” Bayley keeps her voice as low as she can, mellow and sweet like caramel.

“This is payback.” Sasha moans as Bayley slips another finger into her. “Please.”

“No…not payback.” Bayley assures her gently. “If it was payback, we’d be seeing how many pens we could fit in here.” She flexes her fingers, and pulls them sharply from inside Sasha. “You hear that? You hear how wet you are, baby?” Sasha can’t speak, she simply looks desperately at Bayley. “I’m not gonna tease you…tonight, when we’re home, then I’ll tease you.” She starts rubbing Sasha’s clit. She knows how to touch her, knows how fast, how hard, and she’s using every ounce of knowledge to get her off. When she finally comes it quiet, and shivering. Sasha always seems so much smaller when she comes, like she’s made of glass, or cotton candy, delicate and beautiful.

“You okay?” Bayley asks softly, and Sasha responds by uncoiling from around her, to give her a searing kiss. They stay resting together for a moment, their foreheads pressed together, sharing silence and their breaths.

“I’m still looking forward to getting new movies.” Sasha says eventually, and slips off the desk. She rights her skirt, and presses a kiss to Bayley’s forehead. “God. Still twenty minutes to go.” She scowls at the clock, and smirks at Bayley.

“These orders need to be placed, Sasha. Go clean the loos.” Bayley shakes her head, and jerks her head in the direction of the customer bathroom.

“You’re such a Scrooge, babe.” Sasha snaps, but she does grab the cleaning supplies, and makes her way to the bathroom.

 


	9. 9th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 9th of December: Santa and his elves have a little fun after their shift in the Grotto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Threesome (Andrade "Cien" Almas/Drew MacIntyre/Zelina Vega)/ Smut

Elves are small. He knows that, but he’s no idea where the mall found such _small_ elves to work in the Grotto. Drew understands that elves are supposed to be smaller than Santa, but they both seem so delicate compared to him, like they’re on a different scale. He’s sure the female elf wouldn’t even come up to his hip she’s so wee. The male elf is a little taller but not much. Both of them are small, and dainty.

That’s not the worst of it though. They’re beautiful. Mr Elf is solidly built, with piercing eyes, and handsome face, and the filthiest smile he’s ever seen on a man dressed in green and white stripped tights. Mrs Elf is exquisite. So delicate, so sweetly curved, so gorgeous. He’s incapable of not staring at her, and she knows it. Which means Mr Elf scowls at him for the thousandth time, and Drew keeps his eyes to himself for as long as he can, but Mrs Elf seems determined to look gorgeous, and to show off the various assets that make her gorgeous. He can’t be blamed for looking at a beautiful woman being beautiful. It’s like blaming someone for wanting to pet a cute dog. People are programmed to do certain things and men are programmed to look at beautiful little lady elves, especially when they’re standing eating a candy cane. Her lips form a perfect _o_ around the sweet treat, and he can’t take his eyes from them.

The rest of the shift goes about the same way, right up until the last kid of the day. Drew laughs and jokes with the little boy, assuring him that he’s on the nice list, and that he should get what he wants, so long as it’s not too extreme. Santa doesn’t reward the greedy after all. The little boy assures him that he’ll not be too greedy, and gratefully takes the candy cane from Mrs Elf.

When the last kid is out of the Grotto, Mr Elf closes the door, and locks it. He swipes his jingling hat off his head, and groans.

“Ai...what a long day.” He rubs a hand over his face, and turns to Drew. “Santa, sit down.” Drew finds himself obeying without really thinking. There’s something about the intensity of Mr Elf that makes him feel obedient.

“Hmm…I thought so.” Mrs Elf grins at him, and reaches out to Mr Elf. She pulls him into a kiss that has Drew feeling incredibly awkward.

“I should…I’ll just.” He stumbles for words, and gets up from Santa’s throne.

“Sit down, Santa.” Mrs Elf tells him sharply. He sits. She smiles. He fills with pride. It’s a strange moment. But Mrs Elf looks very pleased with his obedience. “Good boy.” She stalks closer to the throne, and stops just out of his reach. “My name is Zelina, Santa.” She comes closer, smiling at him tentatively. “Am I on the naughty or nice list?” She bumps her two pointer fingers together, looking at him with coy, bashfulness. Drew’s mouth feels dry. She’s a beautiful woman, and she is _teasing_ him.

“Hey, Santa.” Mr Elf had creeped around whilst he was distracted by Mrs Elf. _Zelina_. It’s a pretty name. He thinks it suits her. Mr Elf’s hand curls around Drew’s neck. His thumb rubs over his neck. “We were talking on our break, Santa.” Zelina pulls her hand from her head, and tosses it to the floor. “You see, Zelina’s a naughty girl, and I’ll admit to being a naughty boy.” Mr Elf leans closer, his breath warm in Drew’s ear. Zelina’s unbuttoning her elf costume. “A naughty girl like her, Santa-“

“Drew.” He supposes giving his name to Mr Elf is a good idea seeing as apparently, he’s being invited to some kind of threesome.

“Andrade.” And now Mr Elf has a name too. “Like I was saying, Santa. Naughty elves.”

“And I need to punish you?” Drew asks, and Zelina laughs.

“Oh no, Santa.” She kicks the last skirt of her outfit one side. “ _We’re_ gonna punish you.” She smiles, and wearing nothing more than her shoes and stockings straddles Drew’s lap. She takes his hands and places them on her ass. “And you’re going to take your punishment like a good boy, aren’t you, Santa?”

“Yes.” Drew nods without thought, and Zelina laughs.

“See, I told you he was a good boy, Cien. Look how he quick he does what he’s supposed to.” Zelina stokes a finger down Drew’s cheek, catching his fake beard and pulling it off. She leans forward and kisses him. He can feel Andrade taking the white wig off of his head, and setting the hat back on. “Now, take your dick out. I want to see it.” Zelina slips from his lap, and he fumbles his cock out his costume pants. She smiles at it, and pats it gently. “Pretty.”

“Hmm…not bad, Santa.” Andrade’s voice is rough and deep, and Drew’s cock twitches.

“Ha. I think he likes that, baby.” Zelina chuckles, and presses a kiss to Drew’s lips. “But he’s gonna like this even more.” Zelina licks her hand, and takes his cock in her hand. She strokes him slowly, tightening her fingers when he moans.

“You’re right, baby girl.” Andrade’s voice the perfect accompaniment to Zelina’s dainty little hands around his cock. “So, you want me to tell you what’s gonna happen, Santa?” Andrade nips at Drew’s ear. “Beautiful, little Zelina is going to get you nice and hard, and then, I’m gonna prep that tight little ass, and I’m gonna fuck you.” Drew shivers, and Zelina laughs at him.

“Oh, he _loves_ that, Cien.” Zelina laughs at him again. “You want his cock in you?” She asks him, and Drew nods.

“Please.” Drew can’t really explain his desperation for that, he’s never been fucked before, and if this is how it’s going to happen, he’s perfectly okay with that.

“What you gonna do, baby girl?” Andrade asks. Zelina looks up at him with a smile on her lips.

“I’m gonna ride this big fat dick.” She laughs, and moves from in front of Drew. “You got something to slick his hole?” She asks, and instinctively Drew moves down a little, letting his ass hang off the throne. He slides his pants down. Andrade appears in front of him. His uniform is gone, leaving his beautiful body bared. He smirks, and leans forward.

“I’m going to kiss you, then I’m gonna prep you, and then fuck you.” Andrade kisses him as he slips a thankfully slick finger into Drew. He moves it in and out a few times, and then adds another. He stretches Drew’s hole open. Drew stares at him, begging for something, more fingers, Andrade’s cock, something. Zelina’s hand takes a hold of his hard cock, and strokes him.

“Good boy, opening up for him. He’ll make you feel really good, Santa.” She coos in Drew’s ear, nibbling on the lobe lightly. “He’s really good with that fat cock of his, and once you’re all nice and full…” She takes his hand, and brings it down to her pussy. “Finger me.” He obeys her again, like it was his purpose in life, to obey her orders. She smiles at him. “Good boy.”

“Good boy, indeed.” Andrade murmurs, and then Drew’s moaning as he’s filled with one long, slow stroke. “Shhh…good boy.” Drew hadn’t realised he was keening deeply as he was filled until Andrade said that. Andrade rests his forehead against Drew’s, and for a moment there is nothing between them. A tiny moment of silence, where Drew adjusts to the thick cock that’s inside him. “You ready, Santa?”

“I’m ready, Mr Elf.” Drew moans, and Andrade pulls back a little, then rocks forward to fill him again. One of Drew’s hands clasps at Andrade’s shoulders, holding him close. Andrade’s hips are the only movement apart from Drew’s finders inside Zelina. She moans suddenly, and moves away from Drew’s hand. “Move back.” She taps on Andrade’s shoulders, an annoyed look on her face. “I wanna ride him.”

“Fine, fine.” Andrade presses a kiss to Drew’s temple. “She’ll make you feel even better, Santa.” Zelina slips between Andrade and Drew. She smiles at Drew, and then carefully aligns Drew’s cock with her pussy. She sinks down Drew’s cock, and moans gently. Drew groans. She feels amazing. There’s nothing that has ever felt like this before. Filled by Andrade, filling Zelina, sandwiched between two incredible, beautiful mall elves. Andrade speeds up, his chin resting on, more digging into Zelina’s shoulder. He’s staring down at Drew with an intensity that makes him feel on alight. Zelina’s riding him hard and fast, her hands on his chest, squeezing his pecs. She’s staring at him too, with the same intensity. Drew may tower over both of them, but beneath them both like this, he feels so small, so fragile, and so at their mercy. Andrade groans, his thrusts speeding up, deepening, and Drew whines. He lets his eyes fall closed.

“Look at me, Santa.” Zelina moans, and as ever Drew obeys her. He locks eyes with her as she matches pace with Andrade. “Such a good boy.” She moans, her hands tweaking his nipples, her pussy squeezing his cock. Andrade’s hands are on his hips suddenly, pulling Drew down the throne a little more, giving Andrade better access to his asshole. His thrusts are hard, fast, and deep. Drew’s a moaning mess, he can’t think, he can’t focus, all he can do is take what they’re giving him. He can feel the first spurt of Andrade’s cum in his ass. It feels incredible, hot and deep inside him. Andrade’s hips thrust firmly into him, the last spurts of cum feel incredible, and Drew is incredibly grateful that once Andrade finishes there’s a moment of stillness, so he can collect his breath.

Suddenly, there’s a sharp knock on the door of the Grotto, and at that Andrade pulls out from Drew’s ass. He smiles at Drew from over Zelina’s shoulder.

“You gonna finish, baby girl.” He presses a kiss to her shoulder, his dark eyes still focussed on Drew’s. She moans softly, and keeps riding Drew’s cock. He presses kisses over her shoulders, watching Drew carefully. “She’ll take care of you, my good boy.” Andrade’s voice is deep, and Drew shivers at the sound of it. Zelina’s fingers are working her clit, her eyes fall closed, and her head falls back to rest on Andrade. Her eyes crack open, and lock with Drew’s.

“Cum for me, Santa baby.” She smiles, and squeezes her pussy around his dick as she rides him. He can’t help but do as she asks. Her smile is approving as she watches his back arch. He wants to make her smile like that again. “Good boy.” Her voice is delicate, but firmly proud. She comes then, and she is radiant. There’s another sharp bang on the door. “Dios.” Zelina groans, and slips from Drew’s cock. “We’re coming!” She calls even sharper than the knock.

“We already came.” Drew snickers softly to himself, Andrade hears him and chuckles too. Zelina looks at them both with an unimpressed expression.

“Get changed. I want to talk to him.” She smiles at Drew, her hand spreads over Drew’s chest, and squeezes one of his pecs. “I think we need to review the naughty list again.”


	10. 10th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 10th of December: Sunday shift at the Brewed Awakening featuring a hungover boyfriend, several cups of tea, a couple of bacon rolls, and the promise of a tin of Roses minus the caramel barrels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Slash (Jordan Devlin/Jimmy Havoc), Good boyfriending, Fluff, Terrible Nicknames.

It’d been Finn who suggested Jordan apply for the job up in the café. It wasn’t at all what he wanted to be doing, but he’d worked in cafes back home and he needed the money. So, he’d applied. Becky had asked him only one thing in the interview can you work Sundays. He’d said yes, because he’s gotten used to not drinking on a Saturday night, because his not-not-sister is a mess of a woman, and needs someone to babysit her. He’d learned very quickly his equally a mess other-half was not a man to be trusted to babysit. He’s the sort of man who’ll convince Martina that it’s an excellent idea to have shots, and then try to break into a fire station so she can pole dance. Thankfully, that only happened once, and the Fire Chief was very understanding. Small town fire stations are so much more understanding than the large ones. He’d managed to distract them when they’d gone out on the drink in Dublin thankfully once more. It’d been close though, but they’d decided to see if they could drink every whiskey in the bar they’d settled in, and they’d not left until the bartender told them he’d ordered himself a taxi home so they needed to get out now. So, he can work Sundays, he can work Sundays happily, because it means he gets to avoid the worst of Jimmy’s and Martina’s hangovers.   
The café is usually pretty quiet over the weekend, but this close to Christmas it seems like everyone and their mum is there to spend money. Even the salon next door is open, at least he assumes they’re open seeing as Double-o Eggsy was in for two of peppermint lattes, and some of the fancy pastries, but he takes off in the wrong direction for the salon, and seems to be heading for the comic book shop for some reason. There is currently a lull in business though, one that Jordan is using to stir his soup, and rearrange the cakes from the fancy bakery up in the food court in the display. The little bell above the door chimes, and a groan issues from the customer that staggers in.  
“I was wondering if you’d show your face before noon.” He grins at the miserable looking man who’s slumped on the table nearest the bathroom, and because Jordan is a good boyfriend, he pours a cup of tea for Jimmy, and takes it over.   
“Fuck off.” That’s the only acknowledgement he gets, at least until he sets the cup of tea down near enough to be reached, but not knocked off the table. “Thank you. Now fuck off.”  
“What would your mother say?” He chuckles, and heads to get himself a cup of tea, so he can have a little sit down, and offer some sympathy to his hungover lover.   
“What did you expect, James? If you will drink so much, you will be hungover. Here, Lucozade, and Monster Munch. Don’t say your mother does nothing for you.” Jimmy’s straightened up somewhat, but appears to be trying to suffocate himself in his own hands. “Oh god…why did I get into a shots contest with Martina?”  
“Because she bet you the last packet of nice crisps in the pub that she could beat you.” Jordan sips his tea, and tries to keep the smug out of his voice, but he doesn’t try very hard, because Jimmy isn’t really listening in the first place.   
“I feel like I’m made of sausage skins and broken glasses.” He groans, and presses the heels of his hands against his eyes. Jordan laughs at him, and Jimmy looks at him between his fingers. “When I am a person once more, I’m not going anywhere near your dick for a week, you unsympathetic cock-womble.”  
“Cock-womble? Well, I can only hope I’m not Uncle Bulgaria.” Jordan laughs, and Jimmy kicks him under the table. “You’re particularly cranky this morning.” He gets no response beyond a groan. “Poor Jimmy. That cuppa’s gonna get cold if you don’t drink it.” Still nothing, but he can’t blame him. Jimmy put a lot away last night, and had been singing on the way home. Not just any old singing either, he’d been singing We like to Party with Martina, at the top of his lungs, with impressive knowledge of the lyrics. Once Jimmy’s feeling better he’ll share, but for now the video evidence of the night will remain a secret. “We’ve some bacon, and I made the nice rolls this morning.” Jimmy’s hand shield is removed from his eyes, and rests over his mouth instead.   
“Do you have brown sauce too? If you have brown sauce I will love you forever, and blow you after dinner.” Jimmy looks and sounds deathly serious with this statement.   
“There’s a bottle of HP no less.” Jordan gets up, and moves Jimmy’s cup of tea closer. The scent of bacon frying seems to revive Jimmy somewhat, and it also seems to increase traffic a bit. He can see a few customers queueing, but before he has to make the decision on letting Jimmy’s bacon burn or deal with the customers, Jimmy’s dragged himself behind the counter. He very much does not work in the café, the man is a dispensing chemist in the pharmacy beside the comic book shop, but he knows his way around a coffee machine. When pushed, he even knows how to make mild small talk. He’s currently making a gentle joke about his hangover with the equally hungover looking Trent from the ice-rink not the deli. He’s not sure deli Trent, Hipster Zombie as Becky calls him, is capable of being affected by anything that isn’t his terrifying girlfriend, who Becky really likes and hasn’t given a silly nickname to, Asuka is Asuka. It seems that Jimmy has the few customers in hand, so Jordan finishes off the bacon safe in the knowledge that not even a hangover is enough to rid Jimmy of his Costa training. When they’re all served, Jimmy comes to the little kitchen, and plasters himself to Jordan’s back.   
“That’s the best smell in the world.” Jimmy sounds like his throat is all sandpaper, and clings like a limpet.   
“I’d ask me or the bacon, but I already know the answer.” Jordan serves the bacon up onto the two rolls he’s got cut open, and shrugs his shoulders in an attempt to dislodge Jimmy. “You can’t eat sleeping on my back.”  
“You underestimate me.” Jimmy does let go, and leans against the nearest wall. “Where is my brown sauce?”  
“Here.” Jordan holds the sauce out towards Jimmy. He can’t but help snort a laugh as the bottle snatched from his hand, and clutched like a child to Jimmy’s chest. “Here, you have this one.” He moves one roll closer, and starts loading his own with tomato and lettuce. Jimmy’s bacon gets nothing more than a healthy dose of HP sauce, and the lid squeezed down hard enough to squirt a little of the sauce out the sides. The eating process is slow, and it takes Jimmy another round of customers to finish. Once he’s done, Jordan hands him another cup of tea, and one of the cute gingerbread men from the display. The gingerbread man’s head is viciously bitten off, and the first smile of the day spreads over Jimmy’s lips.  
“When are you finished today?” He seems more alive for having eaten his bacon roll. He’s positively grinning at decapitating a gingerbread man, as he sips at the cup of tea in his hand.   
“Four today. Why?” Jordan slides the cake display door closed, and turns to face Jimmy. “You got something planned?”  
“Yeah. I’ve got the top ten Christmas movies loaded up on the TV, and a secret tin of Roses ready to be cracked open.” Jimmy comes out from the kitchen to stand behind the counter, puts an apron on, and presses a quick kiss to the side of Jordan’s mouth. “So, once this shift’s done, the plan is I’m getting all the caramel barrels, and we’re watching Elf.”


	11. 11th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 11th of December: Lunch time for Seth in the Brewed Awakening nets him lunch, embarrassment, and a plan for the evening.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: Slash (Roman Reigns/Seth Rollins), Crushes, Fluff.

Mondays are not Seth’s favourite day of the week. Today, it’s quiet to the extent that Kenny is in the backroom literally asleep, his phone clutched in his hand like a teddy bear. Working in the comic book store is fine, but he’s beginning to miss the bustle of _Papa Buck’s Den,_ even on a Monday The Den has a few people in it. _Devil’s Sky_ , and yes Seth has always thought that a stupid name, but Kenny is _dramatic_ , has been pretty much deserted. He’s glad this is only a temporary switch. Once Christmas is over he’s going back down to his little corner of _The Den_ , and Xavier is coming back up here to deal with Kenny. Not that Kenny needs much dealing with, he just seems to get lost in his own head a lot, and read more than he does his job, and nap on the couch in the back whenever there’s a lull, or he’s not been explicitly asked for.

Still it could be worse. He’s only been mistaken for a woman once, and he got a free haircut out of that. He’s also way closer to the Brewed Awakening, which means nice coffee is a quick walk away and not a trip up the escalator, which is terrible really because he’s sinking coffee like it was his lifeblood, which it is if he’s honest. It’s coming up for lunchtime when a subtle clearing of a throat draws Seth’s attention away from the comic he’s been reading most of the morning.

“Is your boss in?” Marty, the hairdresser who had mistaken Seth from behind and mostly hidden by the counter for a woman, pokes his head in the door. Seth stares at him blankly for a second, and then turns to look into the backroom. Kenny has shifted, he’s less sitting on the couch and more slumped over, his phone still clutched like a lifeline, his mouth open slightly and snoring softly.

“Wait a minute.” Seth offers Marty a smile, and enters the backroom to lightly kick Kenny’s foot. “The guy from the salon is here.” Kenny groans, and rubs at his eyes as he looks at Seth in mild confusion.

“Huh?” He yawns, and scuffles a hand through his hair.  

“Marty, from the salon, is here.” Seth says it slowly, hoping that Kenny will wake up fast and go and stop Marty from looking like he’s a kid waiting for his junior prom date.

“How do I look?” Kenny blurts it out, as he gets to his feet in what can really only be described as a panic. Seth pinches the bridge of his nose, and resolves to stay out of this ridiculous situation as much as possible.

“A mess.” He assures Kenny, and heads back out the door to talk to Marty. “Go on through.” Seth gestures to Marty, who looks at him like he’s grown two heads. “I’m going on lunch, you want me to flip the sign?” Seth winks at Marty. The hairdresser flushes brilliantly red, and slinks into the comic store, his head slightly bowed.

“Bring me back a peppermint latte.” Kenny emerges from the backroom, his hair half-tied up, and looking less like he’d just woken up from a nap than Seth’s ever seen him in his life. Seth nods vaguely, and lets the door fall closed behind him.

“Fucking mess.” He mutters, pinching his bridge once more, and heading for the Brewed Awakening. “Hey, Soulless.” He smiles fondly at Becky when he gets to the head of the queue, getting a grin back from her.

“Good afternoon, Mr Champ. The usual?” She’s already setting his cup of coffee, and toasted bagel down on a tray. She adds a gingerbread man with a smile. “I got far too many of these this morning, so free gingerbread man.” She grins at him, and rings up his lunch. “I want the gossip from you by the way.”

“Gossip?” Seth hands her the exact change, knowing the price of his lunch by heart.

“White’n’nerdy and Double-O Eggsy.” She glances down the queue, and then looks over her shoulder. “Martina!” She shouts, and lets the blonde, hungover-looking woman in leopard print pants take over the till. “Double-o Eggsy stops in about five minutes ago, gets his favourite latte, a couple of the fancy Danishes, and your current boss’s most favourite drink…the hot chocolate with _everything_. Then he takes like an hour to walk over to Devil’s Sky, and now you’re here.” Becky has somehow conjured a cup of tea for herself, and is sipping at it as she stares at Seth, clearly hoping for him to slip all the gossip he can. Unfortunately, he has no gossip.

“All I know is Wednesday last week, Marty took off rather than come sit with us in the TGIF’s. Kenny stuck around for like ten minutes, then he was gone. And now today, the pair of them are acting like kids going to prom.” Seth shrugs, and bites the head off his gingerbread man.

“Hmm…you think they sneaked off to shag?” Becky sips at her tea, her gaze focussed out the window. “I don’t think so to be honest…I bet they met up in the parking lot and had an awkward conversation that was mostly _oh no you finish, please_.” She laughs, and grins at Seth.

“Knowing Kenny? They’re still at that stage…I don’t know the hairdresser, but based on how he was just now…it’s still _no you_.” Seth shakes his head. The bell above the door chimes, and Seth looks over to see who just came in.

“Oh? It’s your man, Champ.” Becky laughs, and Seth scowls at her. His crush is reasonable, and not to be mocked. For an older guy, the man from the gun shop is hot. In fact, for older guys, both the guys from the gun shop are hot. It’s just Seth is in a very committed relationship, and his preferred gun store guy is in denial over his balding, but still never hot in a slightly redneck uncle kind of way.

“Afternoon, Shawn.” Becky calls out, and the older man smiles over at her. “How’s it going?”

“Oh, you know.” Shawn rubs his face, and smiles at her fondly. “Working hard.” He chuckles, and meets Seth’s eyes. “You’ve changed jobs?”

“Just for Christmas.” There’s not quite enough space between the words, and Shawn looks, as ever, slightly confused by Seth. “I’ll be back in the Den in the new year.”

“Oh? That’s good. The kid they’ve got in there at the moment…he’s nice, but knows nothing about music, you know.” Shawn laughs, and rubs the back of his neck. “Well…I better get lunch. Ol’ Steve’ll be getting bored of waiting for me.” Shawn gives Seth a wink, and heads for the counter.

“Do not say a word. Not a single word. If you do, I’ll tell Charli that you were flirting with the little Hot Topic girl again.” Becky looks at him in horror, and Seth bites a limb from his gingerbread man.

“That’s a lie, and you wouldn’t dare!” She laughs, clearly unconcerned, as Seth eats another limb.

“Try me.” The last of the gingerbread man is devoured, but Becky’s only reaction is to laugh again as Seth blushes when Shawn waves goodbye to him.

“Well now, baby boy…do I need to worry about you running off with an older man?” Roman, Seth’s boyfriend and employee of Charlotte’s, takes a seat beside him. He sets his own lunch down, and wraps an arm around Seth’s shoulders, pressing a kiss to the side of Seth’s hair.

“Has he told you anything about what’s going on with White’n’Eggsy?” Becky drains her tea, and looks to be getting ready to get back to work.

“Who?” Roman’s removed his arm from Seth to start eating his sandwich.

“Nevermind.” Becky rolls her eyes, and gives Roman a tight smile. His disinterest in gossip has always failed to endear him to Becky, but the two get along well enough. “I’m gonna get back to work. If you have any developments, text me. I wanna know everything! Asuka and I have decided that we’re getting Kenny laid for Christmas, and we need to know how well he’s doing on his own before we can make plans for Trent’s party.” Becky grins at Seth, and heads back to the counter.

“Do I want to know, or is it better that I’m just smile and pretend?” Roman asks with a mouthful of sandwich and a grin.

“It’s better not to know.” Seth wipes the corner of Roman’s mouth, and smiles fondly at him. “So, are we going to this party?” Roman nods vaguely, and takes a drink of his smoothie.

“I think it’ll be fun. Shea and Wade are going, and you know they’re good fun.” Roman takes another bite of his sandwich, and tucks some of Seth’s hair behind his ear. “Up in the gym this morning, Toni said that they’re looking at venues, and that Kassius has put in an order with the flower store for a literal fuck-ton of mistletoe. Then, he bet me three hundred that we couldn’t kiss under all of it before they could.” He smirks at Seth, and eats the last of his sandwich. “You know how I hate losing bets, baby.” Seth laughs, and decides against mentioning that there will be stronger competition than Toni and Kassius. Asuka and Trent for a start will probably have sex under one sprig of mistletoe by the end of the night. Almost as though summoned by his thoughts, Asuka enters the coffee shop with a slightly terrifying grin on her face, and waves Becky over to a table in the corner. Becky all but skips over to her.

“I’m guessing my lunch break is over.” Seth presses a kiss to Roman’s lips, and stands up. “We’ll stop in at The Castle after work…see if we can’t get you something nice to wear to this party then.”

“I’ll see you later, baby.” Roman doesn’t answer beyond that, but Seth has the feeling that he’s trying to work out a way to avoid going clothes shopping. He’s not going to though. Seth’s going to dress his man to the nines, so he can put the daydreams about an older, balding man out of his head.


	12. 12th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 12th of December: Taco Tuesday with the Taco Tuesday Crew, minus Kenny cause he has date (finally).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Best friends, "Best friends", Terrible Nicknames.

Taco Tuesday is a tradition, and Chuck likes traditions. As is Traditional Taco Tuesday is held in the TGIF’s, and as is traditional the usual suspects are there. Today is no exception. Trent, his best friend, is there, more accurately Trent is bringing the first round over, and soon to be here. Kevin and his best friend Sami are there, they don’t drink so they’ve been commissioned to watching Little William, who is probably Little Kazu’s _best friend_. Chuck isn’t above stretching the meaning of best friends to include crushes. It seems to make people way less blushy, but it also means that they make terrible assumptions about him and Trent. They really are just best friends. Trent is way too Trent to be considered in any light other Trent, his best friend. Nick and Matt from the music store are there with Matt’s boyfriend. Matt and Jimmy are just fine with being boyfriends, which is nice because too many best friends who are a little more and people would ask even more questions. Making up the last of the Taco Tuesday crew is Kenny, who has said he’s only sticking about until eight-ish because he _finally_ has a date. They’ve only been waiting like eleven and three-quarter months for Kenny to get a date after his break up. The object of this date is unknown, but speculation, from Jimmy because he’s a horrible gossip who hangs out with Becky in the coffee shop, has it as the only guy in the new salon. This speculation is further confirmed when Kenny goes to the bathroom by Nick who retells the tale of Seth being mistaken for a girl, and the gossip of yesterday’s Danishes. An unspoken agreement to not tease Kenny is quickly reached, and when he nervously takes his leave, they wait until he’s long out of earshot to laugh at him.

“You’d think he’d never been on a date before.” Matt laughs, his arm around Jimmy.

“Oh? You are a fine one to talk, Matt.” Nick’s grinning at his brother, and Chuck settles in for a little sibling rivalry. The brothers are very unreliable sources of entertainment on that front. They get along far too well, and might actually be each other’s best friends, which is cool, but still kind of boring.

“I can’t remember my last date…I think it was back in England.” Little William mutters, grabbing a hold of a taco, and chomping on it. Chuck pointedly looks at Little Kazu, but the Japanese man quickly turns away, and chugs from his beer bottle.

“No getting too wrecked, Little Kazu. William is too small to take you home by himself, and I don’t like you that way.” Chuck laughs, which makes Little Kazu at once blush and glower. Trent chinks his beer bottle against Chuck’s, and takes a healthy drink.

“You’ll take me home though, right?” Trent’s picked up his taco, and appears to be trying to cram it all into his mouth at once. Chuck will of course make sure he gets home, but he’s not going to tell him that when his manners are so lacking. “Hey Kevin, did you try for Santa like I suggested?”

“No…I missed the deadline.” Kevin glances over at Sami. “Plus, I think I’m too short. Did you see the guy they got? He’s huge.”

“Or he’s regular sized and they just got tiny elves.” Sami adds. This leads to a mild mannered best friend argument; the likes of which Chuck is well familiar with.

The beers flow, and the tacos are devoured. Matt and Jimmy clear out around nine, with Nick leaving about a half hour later, which led Trent to ask if Nick had a _best_ _friend_ , and resulted in a rambling conversation in which no-one could say for sure if Nick did or did not have a _best friend_ in finger quotes, which is what Trent had been doing, and he’s Chuck’s best friend, no finger quotes, for a reason. He gets that there are two different kinds of best friends.

“I’m gonna head the loo, then get the next round in, alright?” Will says as he slips from their booth, watched carefully by his _best friend_ , and oddly Sami.

“So, what with the deal with the staring guy?” Sami asks eventually, and at that Kazu huffs an annoyed sigh, and scrubs his hand over his face. He clearly knows this staring man, and dislikes him, which is more than a little interesting.

“Takahashi, from the bakery. He has…an _interest_ in Will.” The tone that’s delivered in is very much more than best friends, and Chuck wonders if Little Kazu has noticed that yet. The fact he’d clearly noted bakery guy long before Will went off to the bathroom, and said nothing suggests that Little Kazu isn’t ready to be more than _best friends_ , but that the idea has occurred to him probably more than once.

“An interest?” Trent’s settled into his spot on the booth bench more comfortably. A little poking of Kazu is about to happen, and Chuck can’t wait to see how far they get in advancing the _friendship_. “Well, that’ll be nice.”

“Yeah, didn’t Little William say he’d not had a date in forever?” Chuck adds. Little Kazu scowls so hard his face might break, and Trent gives Chuck an under the table, subtle, mini high-five. That wasn’t so much a poke as a stab, but it seems to have done the job.

“Takahashi is not a man suitable for dates.” The tone of that statement is very much Okada-san, and not their friend, Little Kazu, so clearly the seed had been sown. Will takes a long time to come back from the bathroom, and based on the way Kazu is downing beers, and frowning, it’s because this unsuitable Takahashi has accosted him.

“Hey guys, budge up.” Will comes back, holding several beers, and behind him is the grinning, unsuitable Takahashi. “This is Hiromu, from the bakery in the food court.” Will takes a seat beside Kevin instead of where he had been sitting between Kazu and Sami. This definitely seems to have riled Kazu up somewhat, but he says nothing. He focuses on drinking his beers, and stabbing the guacamole with some broken nachos. The actions of a jilted _best friend_ if ever Chuck saw them.

“How much do you think it’ll take before Little Kazu punches this guy?” Trent whispers in Chuck’s ear after about twenty minutes of unsuitable Takahashi joking with William, Kevin and Sami. He and Trent have been having a serious conversation about what they would name a planet if they were in the position to do so. Trent went with X, which seems reasonable, but Chuck wanted something cooler and was debating Dave, because it was funny, and Planet of the Grapes, because it would hilarious if it was like Planet of the Apes, but with Grapes. That had led to them talking about Attack of the Killer Tomatoes, which a by now _quite_ drunk Little Kazu had never seen.

“I’ve seen it!” Will chimes in suddenly, and awkwardly clambers over Kevin and Sami to squeeze in beside Kazu, which immediately perks Kazu up, and loads up the Attack of Killer Tomatoes cartoon song on YouTube. The spontaneous karaoke seems to have thrown unsuitable Takahashi slightly, and drawn the attention of the other guys from the bakery. He’s collected by the one who looks like he’s gotten dressed in Jimmy’s winter closest. They get an awkward nod from him, and the unsuitable Takahashi tries and fails to get Will’s attention from Little Kazu.

“So, we betting on this, Chuckie?” Trent asks him as Kazu summons up a kid’s show from his youth to the delight of Will, and mildly unimpressed look from Dean behind the bar.

“On what, Trent?” Chuck throws an arm around Trent’s shoulders. “On which set of _best friends_ are fucking first? Cause my money is on Little Kazu and Will. Kevin and Sami seem resolutely bested.”

“Kevin and Sami? Seriously? What the hell goes on in your head, Chuck.” Trent laughs, and sets a ten on the table. “Little Kazu and Will by New Year’s.” Chuck sets a ten of his own down, and grins at Trent so wide his mouth hurts.

“By Christmas.”


	13. 13th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 13th of December: Marty has a moment, and by the end of it Kenny might be getting glitter gel pens for Christmas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Slash (Kenny Omega/Marty Scurll), Fluff.

Marty has only had to seduce two people in his life. First was a girl in his first year of high school, who he’d seduced into being his first ever girlfriend with glitter gel pens, and compliments to her tiny butterfly hair clips. She remains the only girl he’s ever had to actively _pursue_. After her, he learnt the sweet words, and pointed smiles that made ladies happy. He learned how to get a girl interested, and how to keep her interested, and he learned that eventually he or they would get bored, so he learned how to amicably break up. Poor Jenny with the butterfly clips was dumped without that knowledge so she doesn’t talk to him, but most of his other exes are his friends.

The second person he’s still actively seducing. He’s not stupid enough to think some lattes, and a trip to the movies is going to be enough. Landing men has always taken a little more effort, and a little more dedication, and with a few more painfully teenage moments of embarrassment. His first, and most long-term, boyfriend had been tall, dedicated and charming, and he’d seduced him by virtue of persistence. He and Zack had amicably parted ways a few months before Marty had left England’s green and pleasant shores, in fact it’d been Zack who’d driven him to the airport. Zack and the current object of Marty’s affections are very different though. He’d been able to speak to Zack without fumbling his words. For Zack he’d been his normal smooth, debonair self, but for Kenny it’s like he has a handful of glitter gel pens, a stomach full of butterflies, and a mouthful of marbles all over again.

He should have grown out of this. He should be long past sweaty palms, and mild panic at the thought of seeing the other person again. He shouldn’t be stressing about the fact he’d forgotten to trim his beard this morning, because he’d still been giddy that they’d held hands last night. More importantly, he should not be painfully nervous about the idea of Kenny being in the salon for an appointment with Asuka. He’s only after a trim from Marty, he’d said so last night. A trim to stop him from trimming it himself. Kenny’s hairdressing skills are painfully lacking. His hair should be a beautiful tangle of elegant curls, instead, it’s a vaguely straggly mop. Kenny attacks his poor hair in awful ways, decimating the sides, probably because the curls don’t lie the way he wants them to, chopping at the underside brutally, the whole thing is all but a mullet.

“Oh god.” Marty finds himself staring at his own reflection in the mirror, suddenly utterly unaware of anyone around him. It’s a stupid dread to have, a ridiculous fear, but he can’t shake it. “He’s going to ask for a mullet.” He needs some fresh air. He leaves the salon, ignoring the mildly concerned call from Brandi, and the sharper reminder from Asuka that he’s got an appointment at twelve. He’ll be there for his appointment. He’ll take his lunch now, and he’ll come back, and be one-hundred percent himself instead of this ridiculous mess of a human.

He winds up in the food court with an accosted on his break Wade, sitting picking at a fancy looking cake from the bakery that he regrets getting because he doesn’t really like cake. Kenny does though. He’s got an impressive sweet tooth. He’s only been speaking to the man since last week, and already he knows this. He knows millions of silly little things that he could list off happily. He’s pathetically besotted.

“I should be playing harder to get, shouldn’t I?” Marty shoves the cake over to Wade, and takes up his cup of tea instead. Wade looks at the crumbs dubiously, and takes a forkful.

“What?” He sounds as confused as he looks, and Marty rubs his eyes. He’d forgotten his cousin, Wade, wasn’t privy to his inner monologue. “You know, as a personal trainer I shouldn’t be having this.” He doesn’t stop eating the cake.

“I went on a date with Kenny last night.” Marty decides that starting somewhere near the beginning is a reasonable idea. “The guy who owns the comic shop.”

“I know who he is.” Wade says, and swigs from his juice. “I think I’m gonna need a little more on why this has caused such…” Wade waves the fork at Marty as though that should be enough to express his point.

“Such a fucking mess?” Marty laughs, starting to shred a napkin. “You remember when I was a kid and I asked you how to get a girls’ attention?” Wade nods, clearly remembering the day a young Marty had come to his older cousin with high hopes and great expectations on having secrets imparted. “I should have asked about boys too.”

“Weren’t you with that Jack guy?” Wade’s polished off the cake, and looks slightly guilty.

“Zack, and that was seriously different.” Marty rubs his eyes again. “Zack was…” He trails off, not knowing how to express something he’s not entirely sure about. There’s something fundamentally different about his attraction to Zack and his attraction to Kenny. It’s like comparing a comfy pair of old slippers and pair of new dress shoes. One is old and familiar, you know it’s comfy, but you also know that the life span is short really. The other is new and different, and it might hurt, or it might not at first and grow to, or it might not at all. There are no guarantees with new shoes, but they’re so shiny and new that you can’t resist them.

“He was what?” Wade looks at him pointedly, and Marty shakes his head with a sigh.

“I don’t know…I guess I knew what I was in for with him.” Marty tosses the last of the ruined napkin on the table, and doesn’t grab another if only because the weird staring bakery employee is staring at him weirdly.

“And this guy you’ve no idea about? You just met him, right?” Wade offers his most supportive smile, and Marty fights the urge to let his rambling inner thoughts out. “You just have to take it slow and see how it goes.” He knew that was coming, and he knows that it’s the best idea, but _slow_ is the last thing he wants with Kenny. He wants the man, and he’s fairly certain that it’s not just sexual. He’s spent a little time with Kenny, but in those few hours, he’s felt more comfortable than he as in a while. It’s like no-one but Kenny is watching him, and Kenny doesn’t care if his beard is trimmed, or if his shoes match his trousers. All Kenny seems to care about is making Marty laugh like an idiot and come to karaoke with him. Marty would happily do karaoke every day if it was with Kenny.

“I don’t even think that’s the point.” Marty stops himself from rubbing at his eyes again. “I don’t even know if I have a point.”

“You’ve got a hell of a crush if nothing else.” Wade laughs at him, and Marty scowls back. “It’ll pass, and you’ll either still like him, or you won’t.”

“I don’t want to not like him.” Marty gripes, and finishes his tea.

“Yeah well…hearts are fickle as fuck, little cuz.” Wade gets to his feet, and hauls Marty to his. “Go on, _get_ , you’ve probably got work to do.”

The elevator back to the third floor doesn’t take long, but really, he’s almost running late for his twelve o’clock. The cougar usually expects his full attention, although to be fair most of his clients expect his full attention, and usually they get it. Today though, he’s not sure he has full attention for anything outside of his head.

“Hey.” The gentle shoulder bump is hardly enough warning for Kenny being far too close suddenly.

“Hi.” Marty offers him a smile, but apparently, it’s the wrong smile because Kenny _looks_ at him. He plasters a more brilliant smile to his lips instead, but the look doesn’t shift form Kenny’s face. “Were you sent to collect me?” He laughs, and Kenny shakes his head slightly.

“No…I…no.” He doesn’t seem able to form a proper sentence. There’s an awkwardness between them that Marty is directly responsible for, and he has no idea on how to smooth it over.

“Please don’t ask me for a mullet.” Marty blurts out suddenly, then starts striding towards the salon. Kenny chases after him, and catches hold of his sleeve.

“What?” He sounds wonderfully confused, and really Marty can’t blame him. This has to have been the weirdest encounter they’ve ever had, and he’s counting the time he legged it rather than deal with the fact he’d just embarrassed himself in front the most handsome man in the world. That Seth seems to have put the whole incident about being mistaken for a woman behind him is a blessing, if only because it means no-one has to find out he ran, because he had no idea of how to deal with, a very clearly just woken up from a nap, Kenny.  

“Do not ask me for a mullet. They’re terrible.” Marty answers with a grin, and Kenny laughs at him.

“But they’re so practical. Business up front, and the party in the back.” He bumps Marty’s shoulder again, and offers him an incredibly indulgent smile. Marty holds the salon door open, and ushers him.

“I’m not giving you a mullet.” His client is there early, and looks up from her magazine when he enters. “Afternoon Steph. How are you, love?” He offers her his hand, and helps her to her feet, air-kissing her cheek as he does so.

“Always better for seeing you, Marty.” She laughs softly, and heads for his chair. Kenny’s wearing a thankfully sour expression at that little display. That mean little look fills Marty with a rush of confidence, and turns to the middle-aged woman.

“I’ll be with you in a minute, darling.” He promises her, and heads for the back, jerking his head at Kenny, indicating that he should follow him.

“What?” The sourness from his expression has crept into Kenny’s voice, and it makes Marty feel stupidly vindicated.

“You have plans tonight?” Marty asks him, his stomach filled with butterflies. Kenny raises an eyebrow, and Marty keeps talking. “What I mean is plans that I can’t join in on. I don’t mean to make you change your whole life to indulge me, I mean…fuck…I _mean_ I want to spend more time with you, tonight, but only if you want to.” Kenny looks at him oddly.

“I’ve heard from Asuka about how smooth you are usually, and I’d never believe a word of it if this was all I ever saw of you.” Kenny shakes his head with a laugh. “I’m pretty lucky to get this side of you, aren’t I?” The same little smile he’d worn last night when they’d held hands in the cinema is on Kenny’s lips.

“You and Jenny from my first year in high school…do you like glitter gel pens?” Marty laughs awkwardly, and Kenny barks a slightly too loud laugh.

“Who doesn’t like glitter gel pens?” He shrugs, and rubs a hand through his hair. “My plans were gym then home to play videogames, if I’m honest. So, I guess, what time do you finish, and do you like salad? Because that’s really all I can cook…that and I make killer ramen noodles. No-one can add water like me.”

“I’m locking up tonight, so uh finish up in the gym and come get me? I’ll cook.” Kenny looks at him in surprise, and Marty laughs. “The kitchen is just one of the rooms I’m handy in.” Marty has the feeling that he’d blushing like an idiot as he pushes Kenny out of the backroom, but for a change he doesn’t care, because Kenny is still snickering over his comment, and right then, Kenny is on the only one that matters.


	14. 14th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 14th of December: Braun works with a lot of small, cute things that trust him to be gentle with them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Friendship, Fluff.

Christmas is the worst time to work in a pet store. There’s a million people, all of them desperate to buy tiny animals to give to their children. Awful children that will ignore the poor thing, or abuse it, and then it’ll end up in AJ’s rescue centre. The tiny, fierce woman is always at her worst in January. All of the tiny, fierce women in his life are at their worst in January. But for now, it’s December, and there’s an odd little quasi-petting zoo set up near the ice rink for the kids on school trips to come pet tiny animals and take photos with the cute pony.

The pony has made friends with the weird guys from the ice rink though, and often tries to escape to go hang out with Chuck and Trent. Trent had assured Braun the third time he’d made Chuck take the pony back, and stop feeding Ms Ed fruit specifically bought to give to her, that Chuck felt a kinship to anything with as many teeth as him. At that both the pony and Chuck had scowled at him, and Trent and fled for the ice rink. Chuck had left the fruit basket, and formally asked if he could come visit later in the day. His request had been accepted by a slightly confused Alexa. It’s become a regular thing, Chuck from the ice rink brings an apple to Ms Ed, and Braun stands a suitable distance away watching carefully. The pony might not like him, but he likes it, so he keeps an eye on her.

He and Alexa have been running the Christmas Petting Zoo for the last two years. It was Alexa’s idea, and she’d explained to Braun exactly why it was a good idea. Two years ago, he’d thought she just wanted to have it because she had a crush on the handsome Australian boy working in the grocery store, but that wasn’t the case. She’d already been dating him, and she’d spent most of that first year criticising her terrible choices in romance. Braun had chuckled at her, and said nothing, because really, he’d made some bad choices too, and one of the reasons he didn’t talk much was one of his exes hadn’t been particularly fond of his voice by the end. He’d ended up telling Alexa all about his shitty relationship with Bray, which had to the inevitable reveal of his bi-sexuality, and Alexa had reacted with a vague shrug and asked if she should play both teams too, seeing as men were garbage. Braun had assured her that women could be just as shitty as men, and really, she needed to take it on a person by person basis.

From there their friendship had grown. They hang out, they bitch about partners, they eat lunch, they watch movies together. More than once he’s overheard Chuck and Trent refer to them as best friends, but that means next to little. He’s heard them refer to themselves as that, and blatant couple from the sushi restaurant as such. Although, if he thinks about it, Alexa really is his best friend.

“C’mon big guy, we’ve got work to do.” Alexa adds the finishing touches to the cute little display, and straightens her uniform in preparation for the first wave of children to come from the ice rink to them. “Oww!” She snaps suddenly, and reaches a hand up to her head. The new store bird is an ill-tempered little parrot that is not overly fond of Alexa. It loves Braun, but when it comes to the little blonde woman, the bird despises her.  She coaxes it from her hair, and the parrot squawks indignantly as it sits on Alexia’s small hand, it’s wings flapping to keep itself steady. Braun offers it his hand instead. It climbs over happily, and bounces its way up to sit on Braun’s shoulder, singing cheerfully to itself.

“He likes you, so why does he hate me?” Alexa mutters bitterly, and Braun nods vaguely. The smaller the animals are the more they like him usually. Horses, big dogs, and cows hate him, but birds, hamsters, and bunnies, they love him.

“Little birds always like me.” He shrugs, and Alexa nods mildly. “The sheep on the other hand wants to eat me.” Alexa laughs, and pats the big fluffy creature on its butt.

“She’s just a cranky pants, aren’t you, Susan?” The sheep bleats belligerently, eyeing Braun with malice in her eyes. The group of children approach nervously, and Alexa offers them her brightest smile. “Hey, kiddos!” She starts with the standard spiel. The kids nervously approach the sheep, and carefully pat the little pony. The bunnies are fawned over eagerly, and Braun has to remind several children to be careful with the small fur-balls. His size makes it very easy for him to use the children as examples for how you should pet a little bunit. The kids find it very easy to imagine Braun squeezing them too hard and making their eyes bug out like the particularly cruel children do to the hamsters. His size is probably why AJ has him working the petting zoo with Alexa. She’s small and cute, and he’s big and serious. They make a decent team solely based on the contrast.

They survive the first wave of children without incident. The second wave are a little trickier, but weirdly Kevin from the ice rink helped them out by being a third pair of hands. He’s incredibly good with children, and reasonably good with animals, even Susan the devil-sheep liked him, which was helpful. AJ herself shows up for lunch, letting them off one at a time. When Braun returns she seems to be in the process of trying to stop a guy with a crow’s nest on top of his head from accidentally stealing the parrot. The bird seems unreasonably fond of him, but he quickly explains that he is looking after his parents’ bird, and maybe this one is just lonely. The scruffy man is with a much neater guy who asks if they’re different kind of parrots, and that results in AJ telling them to take the damn parrot, and see if the two birds become friends. The parrot seems to tire of scruffy guy quickly, and perches on the shoulder of the other man. He looks like some manner of hipster pirate as they take off up the escalator.

“They better end up buying that damn bird.” Alexa mutters, and AJ laughs at her.

“Oh, c’mon. He’s a good bird.” AJ laughs. She dusts her coat off, and nods to Braun. “Alright. Get back to it, you two. Remember to really push for donations.” She scowls out over the next group of kids. “Those little shits are gonna want Fido for Christmas, but not New Year, and we’re gonna take him in, so we need all the money we can get.” She pulls a determined face, and chuckles to herself, as she heads for the little pet shop they have on the first floor.

“If they don’t buy him, I might.” Braun tells her, and Alexa looks at him blankly.

“You wouldn’t dare!” She laughs as he nods solemnly, and the first of the new wave of kids approaches.

The rest of the afternoon is busy enough to be fun. He and Alexa are kept goink, and the kids are thankfully gentle enough to not earn his ire. The worst part of the night, however, is to come. Herding the animals into their pens for the night, making sure they’ve enough water and feed, and that the pens, in the odd little barn out the back of the mall, are clean is the worst part of the day. Braun always feels so guilty for leaving them there overnight, but it’s not like they could take a pony home, or more accurately allow Chuck to take Ms Ed home, he is very fond of the cute little pony and seems to treat her like a less fetch inclined dog. Alexa smiles at him nervously, twirling some of her hair around her finger, as she waits for Braun to finish putting the animals to bed for the night.

“You know…” She starts confidently, but trails off. Braun turns to her, giving her the same kind smile he gives all nervous little fur-balls. Her confidence returns with a smirk. “Trent said that the ice rink doesn’t close until ten tonight. You wanna go skating with me?” She grins at him.

“I’m horrible on the ice…you’ll have to keep me up.” He tells her, and she laughs at him, gently smacking his arm.

“Don’t worry big guy, I got your back.” She makes a move to take her hand back, a reluctant move, and that he doesn’t allow her to make, as he gently catches her hand and holds it loosely enough that if she wanted she could be free. This isn’t about keeping her, this is about being with her, and Braun thinks that’s what they both finally want.

 

 

 


	15. 15th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 15th of December: Senpai finally gets sick of someone else noticing, and does some of his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Slash (Kazuchika Okada/Will Ospreay), Fluff.

_Why is this happening to me?_

It’s not a question Kazuchika Okada has had to ask himself often in his life. He’s mostly been blessed with good fortune, and succeeded with his own hard work. _But_ since he’s come to America it’s something he’s had to ask himself more and more often.

The first time it’d happened was the day he’d met, and been befriended by Trent. He had helped him get to the mall on his first day, as they lived in the same apartment building. At the time he’d worked in an arcade that no longer exists, which incidentally been how Trent had met Chuck, and that whole great and terrible friendship had been born just months before his addition to the situation. He’d met Trent first though, and had gotten drunk for the first time in the US with just Trent on that very first day of meeting. They’d been in the TGIF’s back before Dean, doing what had been the short lived traditional mid-week karaoke, and Okada had thought for the first time _why is this happening to me?_ It wasn’t a bad thought, it was just a this is what my life has become thought. He’d left Japan with hopes of training under a master, and gaining fame, and instead he was drunk singing _Firework_ with Trent.

He’s sure he had a _why is this happening to me_ moment upon meeting Chuck, and then forming the weird friendship the three of them have. Those two have pretty much been the source of all of the _why is this happening to me_ in Okada’s life really, although maybe not the latest, but the latest is related to one of the largest, and they’re responsible for pointing that one out.

Will had started with them in January. A bright-eyed, bushy-tailed English man, that was nothing but a toothy grin, and enthusiasm. That was all Okada had thought of him until Trent had pointed out that more than a few people of both genders were checking Young William out. Of course, he’d noted the long, slender legs (that would be perfect for wrapping around his waist), his sleek body (that would arch so prettily into his touch), and those big blue eyes (that he’s swooned over in his head manfully, because swooning is manly, he and Chuck agree on this firmly). He blames Trent for pointing out, in a roundabout way, that he had a crush on Will, which is what he’d been doing by mentioning others looking because being direct isn’t something Trent’s very good at. The _why is this happening to me_ moment he’d had after miserably accepting he had desires towards the trainee had been impressive, and lead to him discovering that he and Chuck agree that swooning is manly. Trent’s opinion on the matter is lost to alcohol, but ultimately unimportant, so long as one person agrees with him it’s fine.

That’d been back in April, and Okada has done nothing about it. Mostly because Will doesn’t seem to have noticed. Will seems to be utterly incapable of noticing anyone’s crush, even when they are _far_ from subtle, as evidenced by his current _why is this happening to me_ moment.

Hiromu Takahashi is not a subtle man. The staring, the macarons, the three-foot stuffed cat, really one of them should have been a tip, but for Will, apparently, it’s just his new friend Hiro being nice. Will’s new _friend_ is a creep, and Okada is going to punch the smarmy little man if he isn’t careful. All day he’s been wandering over to chat with Will, and Okada’s been stuck chopping fish. He’s also wondering if he’s watched enough episodes of CSI with Chuck and Trent to be able to get away with turning Takahashi into sashimi. They’d need to hide the bones, and his awful clothes, because really who has _that_ many terrible nineties sweaters and ugly graffiti jeans. A bonfire would solve the clothes problem, and he’s sure his grandmother knows a good bone soup recipe.

“You okay?” One of the other chefs asks him nervously, and Okada realises he’s standing, holding his knife like he was acting out _Psycho_ , contemplating cannibalism. He looks insane, and his thoughts are making that worse.

“Honestly, probably not.” He mutters, and gets back to work. He needs to do something about this whole situation. Something that isn’t murder, because that would be heavily frowned up by everyone he knows, as well as the law. Eventually, after getting distracted too many times, the head chef turfs him out to play greeter, mostly concerned that Okada would ruin the fish, rather than chop off his own finger. Being greeter does mean he can more closely monitor the whole Takahashi situation, and better see how Will’s utter obliviousness is getting to him. The only problem is with Okada in closer proximity, Takahashi has increased his visits, bringing with him little samples of cakes and cookies. Finally, the bakery staff notice his regular absences, and the head baker comes over with disinterested scowl on his face. He clatters Takahashi on the head with a wooden spoon, and drags him back to work with nothing more than a mild look of apathy. 

“Imagine that guy green, and tell me you don’t see Kermit the Frog.” Will comes up to Okada once Takahashi has been dragged away.

“Who? Takahashi?” Okada gives Will his nicest smile, and Will blushes. He quietly curses listening to drunk and rambling Chuck the other night when the topic had been _Will is waiting for Senpai to fucking notice, so get noticing Senpai!_ His friends mean well, Okada knows this, but between them they’re more hassle than they’re worth.

“No!” Will laughs, and smiles at the group of girls from the Forever 21 who come in for their Friday traditional late lunch. “The head baker…Naito? That’s his name, right?” And now that Will has pointed it out, he can’t quite shake the mental image of Naito singing _It isn’t easy being green_ from him head. Will laughs at him suddenly, and Okada looks over at him. “Same thing happened to me when Trent pointed it out.” He should have known Trent or Chuck were the original source of that.

“So, you wanna come have a drink with us, Will?” Takahashi shows up again after the bakery closes for the day. He’s going get a punch is he doesn’t leave soon though. His tongue keeps flicking out over his lips, and his eyes keep roaming over Will like he was a painting. Okada stays where he is, just in earshot, politely smiling at customers, and contemplating violence.

“Nah, not tonight. I’m on the late shift.” Will’s back is turned to Okada, so he can’t see his face, but he can see the pinched little frown on Takahashi’s. “Maybe some other time, though. Next time Okada, me and the guys from the ice rink are out?” Will’s offer does nothing to chase the little frown away, and Okada smiles particularly nicely at the middle-aged couple who walk past him, because he got first billing in that list. Granted Chuck and Trent were his competition, but still, first billing.

“Ah…ha-ha…maybe, but I was hoping for just us, you know…” Takahashi trails off, and clearly Will has _finally_ caught on to what he was after. Will laughs awkwardly, and shakes his head.

“I…uh…I…oh wow…I am _so_ sorry.” He rubs the back of his head, and Takahashi is just staring at him. There’s no expression on the odd man’s face, and Okada supposes he should go make the save, because for all he spent the morning considering homicide, he’d not put it past a man with a face that blank.

“Hello, Takahashi. Are you looking for a table?” Okada stands just a little too close to Will, and pretends to not notice when Will takes a subtle step closer, so they’re definitely too close.

“Not today.” Takahashi grins, or at least his lips do, his eyes are still blank, and Okada hopes they won’t need to take out a restraining order against the bakery, because it’s less than five metres away, and they really good dounghnuts. Kermit Naito looks over at them, a single eyebrow raised. Okada has no idea what that means, but if it results in another wooden spoon to Takahashi, he’ll not complain. The big guy in black comes to collect Takahashi this time, and the bakery staff leave.

With the bakery cleared out for the night, the rest of the shift is perfectly free from contemplations of cannibalism, and unpleasantries. Once the restaurant is closed, Okada invites Will to stay late, and eat leftovers with him as has become a habit, only that habit usually comes with Trent and Chuck. Tonight, they’re watching the new Star Wars movie, so it’s just Will and Okada, which is fine, and nothing to get excited about, but Okada is a little excited, swooning maybe, but swooning is manly.

“So, you want these macarons?” Will asks, tossing the box from the fridge onto the table. “I’m not a big fan of them, you know.”

“Meh, neither am I to be honest.” Okada cracks open a beer, and slides it across the table to Will, then opens one for himself. “We can fob it off on Chuck and Trent. They’ll eat them.” He’d said _we_ before the implication had even occurred to him, but it seems Will didn’t pick up on that or doesn’t care.

“Yeah, I guess…I also need to get rid of that cat…bloody hell…that guy, huh?” Will gestures over to the stuffed cat sitting on a chair.

“He’s got a crush.” Okada shrugs, hiding the fact he’s watching Will carefully by taking a drink from his beer.

“Yeah well, he’s not really my type.” Will mumbles, and stuffs come sushi into his mouth. _Why is this happening to me_ is all Okada can think as he contemplates channelling his inner-Trent and in an obscure fashion asking what Will’s type is, or his inner-Chuck and just bluntly asking.

“Who is your type, Will?” Inner-Chuck won. “Cause Chuck has a theory, and he told me all about it the other night.” Inner-Chuck is a chatty as real Chuck, and Okada downs his beer. Will flushes red, and Okada leans over the table to snag his hand, lacing their fingers together, acting far more confident than he feels. “He told me that you like tall guys, with dyed hair…then made a joke about Kenny that was funny, but kind of unkind considering he did have a date the other night.”

“Poor Kenny.” Will’s staring down their interlaced fingers. “Did he also mention that I had a thing for guys who were very good with knives, and had a fondness for glaring at weird men like they were going to gut them?”

“I was thinking of turning him into sashimi, actually.” Okada corrects Will absently, and is utterly relieved when all Will does is laugh, then awkwardly fall silent, his fingers flexing slightly in Okada’s grip.

“So…” Will meets Okada’s eyes nervously. He lets go of Will’s hand, and comes around the table to sit by him.

“He told me that you were waiting for Senpai to notice, because Chuck is an awful human being.” Okada carefully catches a hold of Will’s chin, making him look him in the eye. “I am noticing though.” Will laughs nervously, his tongue flicks over his lips.

“You are…uh…” He stumbles for words, and Okada leans forward to press a gentle kiss to his lips. Finally, _why is this happening to me_ occurs to him in a tone that is stricken with awe and delight. It’s less _why is this happening to me_ and more _why didn’t this happen to me sooner?_

“We’ll give the cat to the charity store on the corner.” Okada murmurs, and decides that another kiss is better any noticing could be.

 


	16. 16th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 16th of December: Preparations for The Oil Slick's Christmas Party are well under way, despite tension between the squishy, white boys on staff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Slash (Kassius Ohno/Cesaro), Het (Trent Seven/Asuka) (Tyler Bate/Liv Morgan), Fluff.

The thought of them throwing a party has become less of an idea tossed around a few of their friends, and more of a genuine commitment. Toni is far from certain where the blame for this can be placed, but it does mean the three of them have actually been trying relatively hard to think of somewhere suitable to hold a staff night out. Toni had mentioned his hunt to Seth when they were having their after-work workout together, and Wade had suggested the gym’s big games room. Toni had suggested that to Kassius over dinner, and his partner had absently agreed on the basis that the gym had showers, so people wouldn’t really need to go home to get ready for a party. That had lead to the discussion on the dress code for their party. Trent had pushed for there to actually be one, solely on the basis that if there wasn’t, Kenny would give his new _boyfriend(?)_ a heart attack by showing up in sweatpants, which would be bad for Asuka’s plans to get her old friend laid. Toni has been trying to stay well out of this particular Asuka plan, but she’s a regular fixture in the morning, and Trent is inevitably embroiled in her plans, so it comes up regardless of his best intentions to not be involved.

So, so far, they have a venue, and the dress code decided on, all they need is food, alcohol, music, a date, a time, and a million over things to actually pull this party off. It’s not exactly helped by the rising tensions between Kassius and Trent. Usually they’re thick as thieves, but with the arrival of Trent’s nephew an unexpected problem popped up. Trent’s nephew, Tyler, and Kassius’ niece, the very sweet Liv, get along _very_ well. Kassius is playing protective uncle a little too well, and Trent is blatantly offended by the implication that his nephew isn’t good enough to be taking Liv to see Star Wars, or go ice skating. This morning, the young pair had volunteered to help out with party arrangements by looking online for catering up in the Brewed Awakening. It’s very sweet of them, but has caused a cold war of scowling glares to be waged across The Oil Slick, a war the customers are able to pick up on, so it’s a problem, but Toni has no idea how to deal with it. Kassius keeps looking over at him, expecting back-up, but all Toni does is offer him a slight smile. He’s not in the mood to act a mediator between squishy, bearded white boys. He’ll let them scowl and glower at each other, and when she comes to fetch hers for feeding, Asuka can negotiate peace between the two camps. She of course won’t, because Asuka has taken to little Tyler like a good auntie. She’d given him a more stylish haircut by the end of the boy’s first day in the states, a sure sign that Asuka likes you is her willingness to cut as well as colour your hair. She’d even styled his moustache. She likes the boy a lot.

“Uncle Toni?” Little Liv shows up about ten, during a mildly busy rush that’s keeping Kassius and Trent too busy to scowl.

“Hello, little lady. Where’s Tyler?” He asks it instinctively, because the pair are usually together, and seeing one without the other is odd.

“Upstairs.” She smiles at him brightly, and glances around the deli. “Wanna come have a coffee with us? If we’re quick, we can sneak out before they notice.” She waves Toni over to the door. He pauses for a moment, hesitating for just a second before he heads for the door. Between the two of them, Kassius and Trent will be fine.

“You know my weaknesses too well, Liv.” Toni chuckles, following her to the escalators.

“Yeah, and by the time we get there, Tyler will have your coffee waiting for you.” She grins at him, and catches one of his hands, tugging him along to The Brewed Awakening faster. When they enter, Tyler stands up, and pulls out a seat for Toni, then one for Liv before taking his own. He has his uncle’s manners as well as his moustache, which is definitely in hid favour.

“Morning, Mr Cesaro.” He smiles, and gestures to the americano in front of Toni. “Liv says it’s your favourite blend.” A sip confirms it is, at which Tyler smiles brilliantly, like he’d made the coffee himself. “So, we’ve been looking into the catering.”

“And we’ve found a few places that would be good to consider but are a little expensive, _but_ the ice rink guys made a really good point when they were here.” Liv cuts in, her iced latte ignored in favour of talking. “They said that most of the places up in the food court have left overs at the end of the day-“

“Regulations have them throw those out.” Toni interrupts before she can finish, and she shakes her head.

“Yeah, yeah, whatever. We went up and spoke to a bunch of the guys, and said that the choice was basically, buy a ticket and we’ll get catering, or bring a bunch of leftovers and it’s free.” Liv grins at him, and Toni shakes his head with a wry smile. The girl is as cheap as her uncle, and Tyler seems to be as crafty as his.

“You pair are monsters…but I’ll assume we’ve got catering?” Toni laughs, and sips at his coffee again.

“Sound too.” Tyler smiles at him. “The ice rink guys volunteered their sound system, so long as we help haul it up, and I reckon that between all of us, we should be able to.”

“You’re making quite a dent in our to do list.” Toni laughs, and jumps when he’s tapped on the shoulder.

“I’m missing something.” Asuka takes a seat at the table, and smiles at them. “What’s going on?”

“ _So_ , we’ve got food _and_ we’ve got tunes. We just need alcohol and to choose when.” Liv tells her, and Asuka leans back in her chair.

“Bring your own bottle. That way we don’t fuck things up _too_ much for the gym. Trent and I were discussing this last night.” She nods to herself slightly, and rests her chin on fist. “As for the date, I think as close to Christmas as we can will be best.”

“You’re only thinking this because you don’t wanna rush, poor Marty.” Tyler laughs, and Asuka nods.

“Yes.” She pats Tyler on the head, and then turns to Liv. “Remember you start in ten minutes.” She offers Liv a grin, and come cash. “Bring four peppermint lattes, and whatever you like with you.” Asuka leaves the coffeeshop without buying anything, apparently shirking that duty to Liv.

“When did you start working at the salon?” Toni asks her, and Liv perks up a little, a smile spreading over her lips.

“Last weekend. Tyler told me that their regular Saturday girl had quit at the last minute, and I volunteered right away. I need the cash, and it’s not hard sweeping up hair, and fetching the coffee.” Liv starts draining her iced latte. Toni finishes off his americano, and gets to his feet.

“I’ll let Kass and Trent know that you’ve been very successful, and that you’ve got yourself job now, Liv.” He ruffles her hair fondly, and leaves the coffeeshop.

The deli has quietened down when he returns. There’s an awkward silence beneath the pleasant music that’s playing. Both Kassius and Trent seem to be pretending that the other side of the deli doesn’t exist, so they don’t have to acknowledge each other. Toni sighs, and walks into silent fray. He lets the silence reign for a moment, then sighs again.

“The kids have worked out catering, alcohol, and music.” He announces, and can feel both men’s eyes on him. “The guys from the food court are bringing leftover, the invites are gonna be bring your own bottle, and the ice rink guys are gonna provide the sound system so long as we help them get it up to the gym.”

“That’s…actually not a horrible set of ideas.” Kassius mutters, looking up from the busy work he was engaged in.

“Did Liv tell you about her new job?” Trent asks, and at that Kassius’ attention snaps to him. “She helped out in the salon last Saturday, and they liked her, so she’s been offered it as a permanent position. I think they’re talking about maybe offering her a few extra days as well…it’ll be handy with her being in college now.”

“She told me.” Toni nods, the look on Kassius’ face is clearly one of minor annoyance at not being told anything by his niece. “She seemed very pleased.”

“She wanted to be a hairdresser as a kid…she used to give me _haircuts_ with her paper scissors.” Kassius mutters, and slaps a smile on his face for the customer that approaches his counter. Trent creeps closer to Toni whilst Kassius is distracted.

“So…is everything okay, or is he really just annoyed about Tyler and Liv?” Trent’s gaze is focussed on Kassius, and Toni sighs again. “Really? Just protective uncle?” Trent shakes his head, and tweaks the ends of his moustache, in the most pretentious nervous tic Toni’s ever seen. “Tyler’s a good boy, and younger than her, I mean really I should be playing worried uncle more than him…” Trent shakes his head, and sighs. “Asuka has offered to kick his head out of his ass for him he doesn’t pull it out soon.” At that Trent laughs, and Toni can’t help but join in.

“She is a very… _forceful_ woman.” Toni mutters, and Trent puffs up in pride at that.

“My empress is a force of nature.” It’d be more romantic if they weren’t that annoying couple that you’re sure are actually very normal in their own homes but put on being weird as hell in public, only Trent and Asuka weird all of the time, because Toni’s been to their home, which was terrifying in its normalcy. Toni doesn’t say anything in response to Trent’s comment, instead he merely nods. “If you could have a word with him over lunch though…it’s getting rather silly, and as fun as it is watching dearest Asuka kick ass, it’s very close to Christmas, and I don’t want her ruining her nails so soon after having them done.” Toni nods slightly, and promises to speak with Kassius when Trent’s on his lunch break, if only for the sake of Asuka’s nails.

A few hours pass before Trent heads out for lunch, and Toni approaches his lover with the intention to try and lay the problem between Kassius and Trent to rest, by finding out what it is that Kassius doesn’t like about Tyler. If it really is just he doesn’t think he’s good enough for Liv, then that’s not something he can fix, but if it’s something tangible they can work on it.  

“So, I had coffee with Tyler…he seems like a nice boy, and Liv definitely seems to like him, and-“

“Is he as weird as his uncle?” Kassius blurts it out, and Toni finds himself staring at his lover. If that’s the problem, then it’s already solved. Trent is a weirdo, but Tyler seems like a sweet and slightly naïve boy, and as weird as a summer’s day. “You heard me. I know you’re only doing this because you want to know my problem with him, and that’s it. I don’t want her mixed up with someone half as weird as Trent.” Toni shakes his head fondly, and catches his lover’s long tail of hair, pulling him close enough for Toni to both kiss and mock gently.

 


	17. 17th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 17th of December: Liv goes Christmas shopping at The Fashion Castle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Fabulousness.

“How many do you think are mistresses?” Tyler is standing behind the cash register, a blandly charming look on his face, watching customers mill around The Fashion Castle. The percentage of extramarital women to actual wives isn’t something Dalton has ever really concerned himself with, although, he’d guess it was high though, seeing as the ladies are mostly buying socks, and spouses buy socks in packs.

“I think…there’s only two wives here.” Fandango answers him, and Dalton’s sure if he turned around, they’d be smiling at each other like the little love birds they are. They’ve such a beautiful relationship, so supportive, so dear, so precious. It should be preserved in amber and held up as a sterling example of how to be a good couple. He dabs and eye, and notices the odd look one of his Boys gives him. He gives the boy a smile, and gets a more demure one back. His boys are good little things. Still, the goodness of his Boys is nothing compared to the devotion of his business partners. There’s so much to be admired in a couple that can go from mildly bitching about their customers to impromptu Christmas duets as they are now. _Baby, it’s cold outside_ has never sounded sweeter than when it’s sung by two people so in love.

“Excuse me…” One of the woman, very probably a mistress, based on her age, because older men always go for younger, naiver girls. She looks incredibly nervous, and one of The Boys offers her a glass of the virgin mimosas on his tray, the other Boy offers his own tray of delightful chocolate truffles. She awkwardly takes something from each tray, and sips at her drink.

“Yes, Dear?” He gives her a brilliant smile, and she blushes slightly, but does look less uncomfortable.

“I’m looking for a gift…I don’t know what…I…we just started dating, and I want to get him something nice, cause he’s a long way from home, and I thought…” She trails off, and looks at him pleadingly. He gives her his kindest smile, and takes a glass of his own.

“So, how old are we talking here, Dear?” He starts wandering down an aisle at random, knowing that the girl, he’s revised her age down because she’s going for more chocolate not more mimosas, a sure sign of youth.

“Uh…not even twenty.” She laughs, and Dalton raises an eyebrow at her. “He’s an English man though!” She adds it on quickly, and takes another truffle shyly. “These are really nice.” She tells The Boy holding the tray, and he nods slightly, indicating that she can put the wrappers on the edge.

“So, we’ve a young English gentleman to get a good gift for?” Dalton stops walking, and contemplates the problem a little more.

“His uncle is Trent…from the deli if that helps?” The girl says, and that does help. It helps immensely. Trent is a very regular customer, with a fine taste in clothing, and a fascinating one in women. “Tyler really admires his uncle. It’s cute.” The girl smiles at Dalton, and he nods to her.

“Okay, my dear, I think I know where we should be. Now…how much are we looking to spend? I mean first Christmas can ben pricey, but that’s only if you’ve been together for a while…I think we’re looking under twenty, right?” He doesn’t mean it in anyway that could be construed as rude, but she’s clearly a student, and if they’ve not been dating long there’s no point in spending too much.

“Uh…twenty-five is okay…” She smiles awkwardly. “My name’s Liv, by the way.” She smiles at him, and Dalton nods absently, leading her to different section of the store. He picks a few items from the rails, and claps. A Boy appears, and takes the items from him. A few items are added to the small stack in the Boy’s arms.

“Let’s go have a little sit down, and we can see if anything catches your eye.” Dalton gives Liv one of his most charming smiles, and she beams back at him, following along, happily commenting on how many handsome Boys he has in his employ.

It takes her about ten minutes, and several more truffles, to make a decision on which gift to buy, and with the gift selected, Dalton claps once, and another Boy appears, taking the gift to be wrapped. The Boy with the rejected items, returns them to their rightful places on the displays. Dalton leads the way to cash register, and lets Tyler run up Liv’s purchase, whilst her gift is wrapped by the Boy. Shortly,

Liv looks utterly bewildered as her package is presented for her approval. The Boy holding it looks over at Dalton with mild distress as she continues to say nothing.

“Do you like the wrapping?” Dalton asks, and she nods emphatically.

“It’s gorgeous! The purple and the pink is pretty, and I love the ribbon. You did a really good job.” She assures the Boy, who looks incredibly relieved, and slides the wrapped gift into a bag, along with a small box of the truffles. It’s a little extra they’ve been throwing in all festive season, because giving a little back to customers is only proper this time of year.

“Now, don’t you hesitate to come and tell us if you’d like that exchanging, dear.” Dalton tells her as the Boy holds out her shopping bag.

“Of course, and I’ll tell Trent you all said hi.” She promises, heading out with a spring in her step into the waiting arms of a young moustached gentleman.

“Ah…young love.” Dalton sighs to himself, and takes a sip from his new mimosa, then turns to his next customer.

“I need a suit…or at least something that isn’t obviously fifteen years old, and made of a polycotton blend.” A customer that based on the width of his shoulders, prettiness of his eyes, and shyness of his smile, Dalton thinks dressing this gentleman _might_ take all day.

 


	18. 18th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 18th of December: Steve's year gets a little better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Fluff

It’s been a rough year. That’s an understatement, and Steve knows that for people who aren’t him, that is non-middle-aged white guys, it’s been even worse, but for Steve it’s been a rough year. It started well for no-one on the grand scale, but on a personal year, his dog died. She’d been with him for what felt like forever, and now she’s gone. This is the first birthday in as long as he cares to recall he’ll be spending without his girl.

It’s silly that his birthday should make him think of a dog so much, but she’d been a special little woman, and had always made his life brighter for her presence. Now though, she’s gone and he’s still there. He’s sure he’s been a pain in the ass as of late, moping over a dead dog, but he thinks he’s allowed a little moping. He’s so much more restrained than Shawn, and so much more willing to roll with the punches usually. He’s permitted a little moping, especially on his birthday.

“Hey, Uncle Steve.” A rough, but thoroughly expected voice and presence is in front of him. He’d intended on stopping in on his lunch break to visit the scruff man grinning at him.

“Morning, Punskter.” Steve gets to his feet, and wanders around the counter to hug his _nephew_. He’s not so much Phil’s uncle as his adopted father, but facts can be damned when it comes to his would-be son. “What brings you here this early? I thought you didn’t open until eleven.” Steve pushes Shawn’s chair out for Phil to sit on.

“Yeah well…I had to come over for your birthday.” Phil rubs a hand over his hair, and sits heavily down. “It’s quiet?”

“It is, but I own a gun shop…if I’m honest I want it quiet.” Steve laughs as he sits down. “You come over here to drink my terrible coffee, and sit in silence?”

“Nah…waiting for the Mrs to bring your birthday.” Phil grins over him, and Steve shakes his head.

“You really didn’t have to get me anything…but what is it?” Steve hopes it’s nothing too over the top. Phil’s presents generally aren’t, but on occasion Phil and his wife can go over the top, just like a couple of years ago when they decided to send Steve and Shawn up to Canada on a hunting trip for his birthday.

“I ain’t telling you nothing.” Phil downs the cheap coffee, and grins over at him. “You’ll like it though.”

“If you say so.” Steve mutters, and rubs his eyes. He spots AJ coming towards the store, with a huge present in her arms.

“Here.” AJ thrusts the large box at him, and Steve stares at her in confusion. “Open your present, Uncle Steve…sheesh, it’s not gonna bite you.” Steve opens the box, and inside is a small envelope. He pulls it out, and AJ laughs nervously. “It wouldn’t fit.” She perches on Phil’s knee. A grin blossoms over her pretty lips as Steve opens the envelope. He reads the contents over twice, and then sets the envelope on the table. He stares at the grinning pair for a moment, and then the sound of enthusiastic claws fills the air, and suddenly his lap is filled with a very excited chocolate lab.

“She’s a nice girl.” Shawn comes sauntering in, a dog leash hanging from his fingers. “I reckon she’ll shake you outta your funk, Steve.” Shawn leans his hip near the cash register, but Steve really doesn’t care about the handsome man leaning on the counter. His attention is caught by the adorable lady in his arms, her very sweet doggie kisses, and thinking that maybe on a personal level this year just got a little better.

 


	19. 19th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 19th of December: Finn's morning was awful, but his lunchtime is much better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Slash (Finn Bálor/Dean Ambrose), Fluff.

Multiple store manager for a toy company was not an aspiration, it was more of an accident, based on a desire to have most nerdy stuff he could get his grubby hands on. Somehow, he ended up working in a toy shop as a cashier, and now he’s manager of three stores, and it’s not bad thing, it’s just a bit too grown up a man that still wants to be an astronaut, and play with Legos.

His days at this time of year are painful. His flagship store is always heaving, and he’s always fielding a million calls from the smaller stores. There are so many tiny fires to be put out, that when he finds himself with the chance to just spend time on the store floor, it feels like a holiday. Or at least it would if it wasn’t for the parents, and children, and the noise both make. He can usually manage the morning, but come his lunchtime, he’s fleeing to the TGIF’s with the express purpose of getting a pint and something to eat, then he is spending the rest of the day in his office.

“You’re here early.” Dean smirks at him, but Finn doesn’t care. He’s had a painful morning, and he needs this pint. It’s pretty busy in the TGIF’s, so the chances of him getting to just spend some time chatting with Dean are low, but he’ll take even a few moments of Dean’s time to help him unwind.  

“Beer me.” He grumbles, and sets a ten down on the bar. Dean shakes his head with a wry smile, and pours the drink.

“Bad morning?” He asks as he takes the money, and tosses the change in the tip jar. It’s long been Finn’s habit to not take any change, instead he’ll add it to the tips for the bar staff.

“You’ve no idea. A million toddlers, and their mothers who believe that the sun shines out of little Timmy’s arse.” Finn takes a long drink of his beer, and lets his eyes fall closed. “January cannot come fast enough.” He rubs his temples, and offers Dean a grin.

“You want some lunch? I can take my break, and shoot the shit with you.” Dean wipes the bar, looking at Finn from under his fringe, clearly trying to look like he wouldn’t care either way, but there’s hope in Dean’s eyes, and that vindicates Finn’s desire to spend time with him.

“C’mon, eat with me.” Finn takes up his pint, and jerks his chin in the direction of the booths.

“I’m gonna get a drink. Go get a seat, and I’ll be there.” Dean waves him off, and Finn nods at one of the servers, and sits in the nearest booth. The server approaches as Dean sits opposite him, and puts the menus down. “What we having? I want fries.”

“Fries sound good…I’m going burger.” Finn closes his menu, and watches Dean leaf through his.

“Fries and burgers…sounds reasonable to me.” Dean closes his menu, and grins at Finn. “So, you geared up for this party?”

“Does it even have a date yet?” Finn sips at his beer, and can feel all of his annoyance from the morning drifting away in the face of a very normal, very bland conversation. The server takes their order, and leaves them.

“Honestly, I’ve no idea…The deli guys were in last night, but there was hard drinking being done with the salon ladies, and weirdly they were chasing each other with glitter pens, which I think came from comic book guy…I think he and dude hairdresser are a thing. They seemed like a thing.” Dean shrugs, and Finn shakes his head. He’s no idea if Kenny is a thing with Marty from the salon. It would probably be good for Kenny to be a things with someone again, he’s been moping over his ex for nearly a year. The glitter pens do sound like the sort of thing a Kenny with a thing would do. Love tends to make Kenny very _silly_. “On the subject of last night, where were you?”

“I was in the next town over at the company Christmas party.” Finn finishes his beer, and orders another from the very attentive server.

“Oh, I hope you at least had fun whilst I missed you.” Dean laughs, and Finn can’t help but wonder if there’s any truth behind that flippant chuckle. He’d like Dean to actually miss him, and not just be being nice. He missed Dean. He’s gotten very used to, and fond of his nightly chats with the bar tender.

“It was boring as fuck, but I got some good networking done.” Finn mutters, and takes a sip form his newly delivered beer. He supposes he should drink this one slower. It would not be a good idea to roll back into the store slightly tipsy. “I should have asked you along…the big boss was there, and he kept trying to hook me up. I swear he introduced me to like a million-different people of all shapes, sizes, colours, and genders.” Finn laughs, and their food is finally delivered. He swipes one of Dean’s fries, and laughs again when Dean kicks him under the table.

“You’ve got your own.” Dean steals one of Finn’s fries, making it a war. They eat quickly, sneaking fries from each other’s plates for no reason other than the sake of it. It’s been a long time since Finn has just been ridiculous with someone, but he’s definitely enjoying it with Dean. Usually their time together is spent with Dean behind the bar, so there’s no scope for silliness. As he steals the last of Dean’s fries, Finn thinks that silliness is something that he and Dean should get more of in their burgeoning relationship. “Hey, I was wondering what your plans for Christmas day are…” Dean steals the last of Finn’s fries, and settles back in his side of the booth.

“Honestly, I’m going to FaceTime my folks, and then see if I can stream TV from home…unless you’re gonna make me a better offer.” Finn smiles, in a manner he hopes isn’t too desperate, or too hopefully. He wants to do something cool with Dean, but if Dean was just asking to make conversation that’s okay. It’s not cool, but it’s okay, and Finn’s sure he can find a way to watch TV from home here in the States.

“I’m going on a research trip up to a cabin, and…” Dean runs a hand through his hair, and pulls his phone from his pocket. “It’s three nights in a nice cabin up north…and I’m gonna bring a whole bunch of festive supplies, and it’ll be…it’ll be nice.” Dean smiles at him, and Finn starts at the information on the screen of Dean’s phone. An advertisement for a _Yeti Hunt_ up in the mountains. It looks silly, but fun and probably romantic, because a log cabin in the mountains is always romantic. He doesn’t even think to hesitate and he reaches over to take Dean’s hand, and gleefully announce that he’ll bring marshmallows, because even Yetis will like his hot chocolate.


	20. 20th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 20th of December: Sami is bored, and Kevin is a good friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Fluff.

Kevin doesn’t like people. Kevin doesn’t like working with people. Kevin doesn’t like a whole lot more than he likes. He likes, at this moment, kids because they’re too little to be held to the same standard, and Sami. He might also like Chuck and Trent but that changes in a whim. He does like kids and Sami though.

Kids and Sami have a lot in common. Kids like Christmas and so does Sami. They both like the bright lights and gaudy colours and the sweet food and the silly songs. There is one difference between kids and Sami though. Kids aren’t people yet. They’re too young. Sami is a grown up and should be above contemplating jealously building snowmen. The kids who’d been talking about snowman building as they skated around, have left the rink and are making their way out of the mall.

“I’m bored.” Sami’s in the ticket booth, his chin in his hand. Kevin shrugs vaguely and keeps watching the skating kids. Trent and Chuck are actually doing their jobs as close to properly as they ever do, so the kids are mostly okay and only every fifteenth gets _boo_ shouted at them.

“You’re at work, Sami. You’re supposed to be bored.” Kevin mutters, and watches a group of teenagers spook Chuck. He and Trent start chasing the teenagers saving the little kids from being terrorised by Chuck.

“I am literally so bored I don’t care that that is true.” Sami grumbles and starts shoving chewing gum in his mouth. “How many bits do you think I can chew at once?”

“Twenty-three.” Kevin answers him without looking over. He’s debating where he’s going to go for lunch and if he should bring something back for Sami or not. Sami sighs dramatically, and Kevin comes to a decision. He skates over to Trent.

“We’re going for lunch.” Trent turns to him with a mildly scandalised look on his face.

“You’re leaving me in charge? Oh god…we’ll kill a kid.” He groans, and Chuck turns to him. “I’m in charge, Chuck. You _will_ kill a kid.”

“I will not…they’ll be fine.” Chuck laughs, and Kevin pulls his phone out of his pocket. A quick message to the group of more reasonable friends, which nets a response from Asuka and the more grown-up Trent. “Well that’s just rude.” Chuck mutters, he’d been staring down at his phone watching the group messages.

“It’ll be fun. Asuka’s cool…and English me has a sweet moustache.” Trent starts extoling the virtues of _sweet_ moustaches, and Kevin heads back over to Sami. He’s very glad that there will be some grown-up to make sure that they don’t get fired before Christmas.

“Hey.” Kevin taps Sami on the shoulder. “Let’s go! We’re doing lunch.” Sami looks over at him in confusion, and leans out of the booth slightly.  

“We’re leaving them alone?” Sami glances over at Chuck and Trent.  “Are you sure that’s a good idea?”

“They’re fully grown adults, Sami.” Kevin laughs, and waves at the couple coming down the escalators. “I asked Asuka to keep an eye on them, and she brought her Trent.” Kevin grins at Sami, and ushers Asuka into the booth. “Hello.”

“I’m in charge of the rentals until you’re back, Sami.” She pats Sami on the shoulder, and waves them off. “Trent is in charge of making sure there is no monkey business.”

“I will perform my duties well, I assure you.” Asuka’s Trent salutes him, and Kevin returns the gesture with only mild confusion. “Oh! Before I forget. Your invitations. We’ll be here to help move the sound gear up around four.”

“Roger that.” Kevin taps Sami’s shoulder, and leads the way to escalators. “We’re grabbing food first.” They end up in the Brewed Awakening, where Sami chats with Becky, and mostly seems to perk up a great deal. Becky ends up sitting with them, sharing tales of glitter gel pens, of which Marty apparently has millions because Kenny is either really romantic or a total dork, and no-one seems to be sure which. Kevin’s going with dork, because he’s known Kenny for a while and knows the man to be a dork.

Once they’ve eaten, Kevin leads Sami over to the elevator, and shoves Sami into the elevator.

“Let’s go. We’ve got like thirty minutes before Asuka and Trent have to be doing their jobs.” Kevin throws an arm around Sami’s shoulders, and squeezes him. “We’re gonna have _fun_!” The first snowball is Kevin’s. He balls it up as soon as they get on the roof, and throws it at the back of Sami’s head. Sami squawks loudly, and turns around like a spinning top. Kevin smacks him in the chest with snowball number two.

“Oh! It is _so_ on!” Sami laughs, and makes a dive for the smokers’ shelter to start amassing an arsenal. His first snowball misses Kevin spectacularly, and shoots off the side of the roof. It takes Sami a good three attempts to actually hit Kevin with a snowball, and by then he’s been pelted Kevin. The first smoker who makes their way out seems utterly bewildered to have walked into a warzone, and seems to look like they’d rather be anywhere but in the middle of a snowball war. They stay in the doorway, and tries to not get involved. The second smoker, is Joey from the vaping cart, and he throws himself into war with abandon, which lets Sami and Kevin join forces instead of fighting each other. The third smoker isn’t a smoker at all, it’s a mildly put out looking couple who were looking for a quiet place to make out, but instead they join in with the war. By the time they have to leave, Sami is in a way better mood, which is exactly what Kevin had been after in this whole snowball fight endeavour.

“Do you think that Asuka and the Trents saved the children?” Kevin nudges Sami, and grins at him as Sami starts laughing.

“So, after work, snowman?” Sami grins over at him as they strap their skates back on. Kevin claps him on the shoulder, and agrees that an after-work snowman sounds like an awesome plan.

 


	21. 21st of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 21st of December: Charlotte takes Becky to go see Santa, and contemplates when to give her girl her Christmas present.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: FemSlash (Charlotte Flair/Becky Lynch), Fluff.

There’s only four days left until Christmas. Four days for Charlotte to plan the perfect way to give Becky her present. Becky loves Christmas. The only thing she loves more than Charlotte is Christmas. It’d been quite the revelation to Charlotte the first year they’d lived together to find out that Becky was the sort of woman who would make fruit cakes that she’d inject with alcohol for a few months before Christmas. Becky is the sort of woman who on December first she puts old Bing Crosby on the Spotify and fills the house with crooning Christmas classics.

Charlotte has been planning what will be Becky’s present all year. In truth, she started planning this year’s gift about two minutes after last year’s. The moment Becky had stopped hugging her tightly, Charlotte had started the thoughts about what she could get Becky the next year.

What she plans to give Becky isn’t much physically. It’s just something small, and sparkly, that’s she’s had since she saw it in a display way back in June. It’s small, sparkly and beautiful. It’s basically her Becky but in the form of a ring. A ring, that’s what she’s planning on giving Becky. A ring. A ring and everything that comes along with this particular ring. Her Christmas present is her hand in marriage. It’s a present Charlotte has been planning on giving Becky for a while, but she’s never found the right moment. She’s taken to carrying the ring around with her. In the summer it was in her purse. In fall, it moved to her jacket pocket, and now in winter it’s in her coat’s pocket. She knows she wants the moment she gives this ring to Becky to be perfect, but she’s no idea when that perfect moment will be, so she carries it with her just in case.

It’s not that she’s worried that Becky will say no. She knows that Becky will say yes. They’ve mock asked each other a million times drunk. A million times that always get a yes, and on several occasions matching onion ring engagement rings. It’s not the answer that has Charlotte worried. It’s the setting. She wants it to be perfect. She wants Becky to think back on her proposal and to get as blushy and giggly as she does when she thinks of their first date. Second first date at least, because the first-first date had mostly consisted of laughing at a drunk, and bewildered Okada trying to settle into American life with his _friends_. The Three Beermigos are a weird bunch, but they’re also really good fun to go drinking with, as was learned on that first-first date. She hopes there’s karaoke at this Christmas party on Saturday night.

For lunch, Charlotte has decided to take Becky to the Santa’s Grotto on the ground floor. She heard from one of the elves, a tiny _gorgeous_ woman, that this lunch time they were going to let adults sit on Santa’s knee. It’s something that Becky loves more than anything about Christmas. Apparently, her father had been Santa when she was growing up, and because of that she had an affinity to the jolly old man. With that in mind, when lunchtime rolls around, Charlotte leaves the store in Sheamus’ hands, and heads to the Brewed Awakening.

“Hello, Charli.” Just before she can enter, Marty stops her with a slightly shift look on his face. “So…I’m obviously stalling and stopping you from entering your girlfriend’s café for a reason.” He smiles at her, and Charlotte blinks at him in confusion.

“Yeah…you wanna share that reason?” Charlotte tries to move closer to the coffee shop, but she’s backed a little closer to the escalators.

“I mean, it’ll be entirely obvious once you see, but for now, nope.” Marty gives her a brilliant smile, and sits her down on a bench.

“Becks getting her hair and or nails did?” She asks, and Marty looks at her blankly. “I mean we both know that’s what’s happening, or you’re hiding from someone, but I think you’re past that stage with White’n’nerdy.”

“Who?” Marty looks over at her for a moment, then shakes his head. “Do I want to know my nickname?”

“Do I want to know mine?” Charlotte counters, and Marty laughs loudly. “That’s what I thought to be honest.”

“Oh, it could be worse…pen?” Marty offers her one of the myriad glitter pens he has tucked in place of a pocket square in his vest’s pocket.

“Do I want to know?” She accepts the sparkly blue pen, and tucks it behind her ear.

“Honestly, it’s either the sweetest gesture of a man showing he’s listened to me and is trying to show he understands that relationships are scary, or a sign that Kenny bought too many glitter gel pens on Amazon Prime.” Marty shrugs, his gaze on the comic book store.

“He’s a sweet guy.” Charlotte shrugs. “You look like people tell you that a lot.”

“Number one word used to describe Kenny Omega? Sweet.” Marty sighs, and rubs his eyes. “I…it’s not how I’d describe him, you know?”

“No?” Charlotte looks over at the hairdresser, and then turns to the comic book store. Kenny’s just left, and is striding over with purpose. She’s never seen the particular expression on his face before. It’s something beginning with _s_ but it’s definitely not _sweet_. “I think you’ve a date.”

“I do not, I have a client in five minutes.” Marty’s stood up though, and is walking over to Kenny. “You’re good to go by the way.” He calls out over his shoulder. She gets to her feet, and shakes her head at the display of cute awkwardness that Kenny and Marty are putting on. For all the blatant sexiness Kenny had been oozing as he approached Marty, the moment the Englishman was in arms reach, Kenny was his normal _sweet_ self.

“Do you love my hair? I love my hair!” Becky comes bouncing out of the salon and into Charlotte’s arms. Her fiery hair has been touched up at the roots, and there are beautiful loose curls in it, making it look like gorgeous silken flames.

“Your hair looks amazing, babe…I should get my hair done for Christmas too.” Charlotte pulls Becky into a kiss, her hands tentatively touching the newly formed curls. “It’s so soft.” Charlotte murmurs, and Becky nods proudly.

“You’re in tomorrow with Double-O Eggsy. He’s got plans for you apparently.” Becky laughs, and steps out of the way, as Marty charges past them into the salon. “Young love…” She chuckles, and waves to Kenny on the other side of the floor. Charlotte waves too, and she takes a hold of Becky’s hand and leads her in the direction of the escalators. Becky glances up at her, and pecks Charlotte in the underside of her jaw.

“So, you don’t want lunch?” She asks, and Charlottes fingers tighten around the box in her pocket. “Jordan’s made the nice soup...and the good rolls.”

“Sounds like a better dinner.” Charlotte gently kisses Becky’s hair, taking in the scent of the salon’s shampoo. It smells a great deal like sugar cookies, and it’s a perfect match to her sweet Becky. “You’ve seen the Grotto, right?”

“Yeah, of course.” Becky looks over at her, and pulls a distrusting face. “Why?”

“Oh…well…I heard from a little elf, that Santa is going to talk older boys and girls today.” Charlotte laughs as Becky suddenly breaks out into an enormous smile.

“You’re joking? You have to be joking.” She’s practically vibrating, and Charlotte can’t help but laugh as she watches the woman she loves quiver in childish glee.

“Not in the least, Becks. Santa is looking forward to meeting the prettiest girl in the mall.” Becky leans against her shoulder for a moment, and holding her arm tightly, then she frolics over to the brightly lit display in the middle of the mall.

“C’mon! I wanna go speak to Santa!” Becky calls, as she joins the queue for meeting Santa. “I’ve an important question to ask him.” Becky smiles, bouncing slightly. Charlotte loops her arms around Becky and kisses the side of her head. A queue to see Santa isn’t quite the right place, but maybe the big man will give her some inspiration or courage, because she’s going to ask soon, and she knows that Becky is going to say yes to her.

 


	22. 22nd of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 22nd of December: Wade and Sheamus have a strategy meeting in preparation for the night of free drinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Slash (Wade Barrett/Sheamus), Fluff.

“How many people do we need to sign up before January?” Trevor looks annoyed, and Wade can’t blame him in the least. The management have commanded that they have to sign-up at least twenty people before January. Trevor’s been out with what he’d termed _death-flu_ for about two weeks, so he’s been busting his ass to get people signed up. So how the charming bastard has more than Wade, not that Wade’s going to tell him that. Trevor doesn’t need his considerable ego stroking any more.

“I’m sure you’ll be fine.” Wade claps him on the shoulder, and casts his eyes about the gym. “You coming to this party tomorrow?”

“Damn right. There’s a bet in the group about who can kiss under the most mistletoe.” Trevor grins over at him, and Wade pinches the bridge of his nose.

“I know, and I know that the prize is a night of free drinks.” Wade grins over at him. “Me and Shea can put a fair amount away.” Wade grins over at him, and Trevor laughs in response.

“So, we’re competing?” Trevor grins, and straightens up. “Me and Tess are gonna kick your ass, big man.” He laughs, and walks over to the woman that just entered the workout area. She’s one of Trevor’s clients, that Wade can tell from a distance because of the swagger that suddenly fills Trevor’s walk. Wade’s next client approaches him, and he gives them his full attention, taking them through their routine.

An hour before his lunch break, a delivery arrives. A large box that smells odd. He opens it, and stares blankly at the contents. It’s nothing but mistletoe. A massive box of mistletoe. Trent had said that there would be a mistletoe delivery, but Wade had not expected a whole box of the stuff. This is a lot, but the kissing contest will be more interesting with so many different bundles to kiss under. He’s going to have to talk to Trent about the actual rules of this silly contest, because he’s no idea how people are going to prove they’ve made out under the mistletoe, unless each bunch is monitored, or maybe people are supposed to take one of the berries, but really that would be open to manipulation. The guys from the ice rink would definitely cheat to get a night of free booze if all they needed was a bunch of berries. Wade will have to trust Trent from the deli to have worked out a system, or at least trust that his terrifying little girlfriend will have, because really, she’s more like to have thought this _all_ the way through. He drags the box of mistletoe to the big games room, and starts securing random bundles in places he thinks will be appropriate, and sends a message to Trent to let him know that his mistletoe has arrived. The message back assures him that this evening Trent and his empress, his word not Wade’s, will be there with the others, undefined beyond others which left Wade mildly intrigued, to secure the mistletoe.

He heads to meet Sheamus for lunch, the locations he’s already chosen circling in his mind. A night of free booze is a good prize, and it’s one he and Sheamus can achieve easily. They’re both in good shape, they can make it around the mistletoe spots quickly, and then come the new year, they can have a night of drunken fun in the TGIF.

“You look like a man on a mission.” Sheamus tells him when he flags Wade over to their preferred spot in Becky’s café. Lunch is already sitting on the table, and Sheamus has started on his sarnie. “Something up?”

“You have a pen?” Wade asks, as he pulls one of the paper napkins out of the dispenser, and spreads it flat. Sheamus looks mildly confused, but tosses him a pen. Wade pulls the cap off, and draws the big games room. “So, these are the locations I know, and the prize is a night’s worth of free drinks in the pub.” He’s wearing his game face, at least based on the bewildered expression on Sheamus’ face. He’s taking this challenge to heart apparently.

“The kissing competition?” Sheamus asks, and Wade nods. A thoughtful look crosses Sheamus’ face for a second before it steels into his own _game_ face. “The _serious_ competition is obviously Trent and Asuka, Trevor and Tessa, and Becks and Charli.” Sheamus glances over at his cousin, and takes a bite of his gingerbread cookie.

“Really? You think they’re gonna be more of a challenge than Trent and Asuka?” Wade starts marking where he’s put bunches of mistletoe.

“Yeah, I think so…Becks is competitive.” Sheamus chuckles, and narrows his eyes as he stares at Wade’s map. “That where the mistletoe is?”

“Uh-huh. I’m trying to work out the best plan of attack.” Wade takes a hold of Sheamus’ wrist and pulls it closer. He steals a bite of the gingerbread man.  

“Is the prize common knowledge?” Sheamus asks suddenly, and Wade glances up at him. The ice rink Trent is in the café buying coffee for the ice rink staff. He looks over and gives them a mild smile and a half-arsed thumbs-up. Once his coffee is bought, Trent swaggers over with a smirk on his lips.

“We might not be a couple, but me and Chuck are winning. We have the power of friendship on our side.” He tells them as he walks past, a spring in his step. Wade frowns, and steals the rest of Sheamus’ gingerbread man.

“They might be stiff competition.” He can see ice rink Trent and Chuck working out a way to scam the system, and they’re providing the sound system for the night. A night of free booze might be the payment they’ll request in the first place.

“Fuck ‘em.” Sheamus shrugs, and grabs the napkin. “They’ll cheat, but they’ll cheat in shit way.” He taps the napkin and smirks at Wade. “We’re gonna cheat smart, and make a map. That booze is ours.” Sheamus leans over the table, and kisses Wade.

“Well, after work, we’ve got a gym to _help_ decorate.” Wade laughs, and tucks the napkin map into his pocket “Remember your pen.”

 


	23. 23rd of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 23rd of December: The staff Christmas party has a kissing contest. A twenty-five kiss kissing contest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Slash, FemSlash, Het, Fluff.

_Trent Seven: Evening. There are 25 bundles of mistletoe located around the gym. Each bundle is above a large number – to prevent cheating namesake! To enter you must post 25 pictures with you and your partner kissing in front of each number._

_Asuka Nine: The whole number must be visible! NO CHEATING! The winners will be the people who enter all 25 photos first. Please label them properly **Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on x!!!**_

_Becky Lynch: It has to be visible? What if you’re short?_

_Trent Seven: Stand on a stool? Or ask someone to help. The numbers are located in reasonable locations, worry not._

_Sheamus O’Shaunessy: You’re all going down, and me and Wade are gonna get wrecked!_

_Wade Barrett: I don’t think people say wrecked anymore._

_Trent?: I resent the insinuation that I’d cheat! It’d be Chuck…he’d cheat._

_Chuckie T: TRENT! ONE WHERE IS YOUR LAST NAME, AND TWO FUCK YOU! I’M GONNA MAKE OUT WITH 25 FREAKING TIMES AND WE’RE GONNA WIN CAUSE WE’RE BEST FRIENDS AND WE HAVE THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP!_

_Charlotte Flair: You’re all going down._

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 1st!!!_ **

The photo shows a grinning group of individuals. Many couples are in the shot, but in the back corner, kissing with mildly disgusted faces are Trent and Chuck from the ice rink.

_Chuckie T: YEAH!!! SCORE ONE FOR US, TRENT!!!_

_Becky Lynch: You stole that!_

_Chuckie T: WE KISSED FIRST ON CAMERA! YOU MIGHT HAVE POSTED BUT BEST FRIENDS BABY! BEST FRIENDS! AND WE IS COMING FOR THAT BOOZE!!!_

_Trent?: yeah._

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 2nd!!!_ **

The photo shows Chuck grabbing Trent by the ears, planting a firm kiss to his lips. In the background, Charlotte and Becky kissing gently, there’s fancy cocktails in both of Charlotte’s hands, and her cook, Jordan, is taking a picture of the two of them.

_Chuckie T: YEAH BABY!!! PUCKER UP TRENT!!!_

_Jimmy F. Havoc: Don’t these kisses have to be consensual, Trent?_

_Trent?: I’d say yes…Evil Me?_

_Trent Seven: I would say that is a requirement…Were you kissed unconsensually, Gormless Me?_

_Chuckie T: CONSENT WAS GIVEN! CONSENT TO WIN!!! WE’RE IN A WAR!_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 3rd!!!_ **

The picture shows Becky and Charlotte kissing in front of a large number three. In the corner of the picture Martina has an arm around the shoulders of both Trent and Chuck.

_Martina Claus: YEAH! TAKE THAT BOYS! SESSION PLANNED WHEN THE BOSS WINS!_

_Will Ospreay: I think we might need to step up for the food court, Okada_

_Hiromu Takahashi: I could help! :*_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 4th!!!_ **

A slightly blurred picture showing Asuka and Trent in the midst of a very passionate kiss.

_Trent Seven: One for the organisers._

_Antonio Cesaro: One for one of the organisers, Trent. :P_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 5th!!!_ **

Another picture of Charlotte and Becky. This time they look like they’re trying to not burst out laughing, just off to one side of the picture is Chuck holding some white mistletoe berries, there’s some heading in the direction of Charlotte and Becky.

_Charlotte Flair: two/two Chuck! Two/two!_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 6th!!!_ **

This picture is of Chuck planting a kiss on Charlotte, much to Becky’s obvious amusement. The photo is taken just at the moment she’s spitting a mouthful of violently pink cocktail at a bewildered Trent.

_Becky Lynch: SORRY TRENT!_

_Trent?: its okay_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 7th!!!_ **

A picture of Becky kissing Trent on the cheek. A put out looking Charlotte in the background, she’s drinking her cocktail, and staring off camera.

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 8th!!!_ **

A shot of Charlotte and Becky kissing, beside them is a very smug looking Okada kissing a very blushy Will on the temple.

_Kazuchika Okada: Does that count?_

_Trent Seven: No. Lips only._

_Charlotte Flair: THREE/TWO CHUCKSTER!_

_Will Ospreay: I think it counts, Kazu._

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 9th!!!_ **

A shot of Will forcefully kissing Okada. Chuck and Trent are throwing torn up napkins like confetti over them.

_Chuckie T: …I don’t to say this here, but head home guys…you’ll enjoy it. ;)_

_Trent?: CHUCK!!!! >:(_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 10th!!!_ **

A picture of Wade and Sheamus, clearly taken earlier in the night, everyone else is up at the smaller numbers.

_Wade Barrett: We have a strategy!_

_Becky Lynch: THAT’S CHEATING!_

_Asuka Nine: No, it is not. It is strategy. Impressive strategy. Has anyone seen my Trent? I’ve misplaced him._

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 11th!!!_ **

A picture of Trent, and Kassius kissing Toni on the cheek.

_Antoni Cesaro: I did not consent to this!_

_Kassius Ohno: Sorry… I’ll make it up to you. :D_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 12th!!!_ **

The picture is of Becky and Charlotte kissing again. They both look even drunker, and like they’re not so much kissing as laughing but their lips are touching.

_Chuckie T: THIS IS RIDICULOUS!!! TRENT!!!! WHERE’S MY TRENT? WHO HAS STOLEN ALL THE TRENTS??? ASUKA! DO YOU WANT TO TEAM UP AND HUNT OUR TRENTS DOWN?_

_Asuka Nine: Come, we will find them! My bets are on the bar though…_

_Trent Seven: Bathroom actually. ;)_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 13th!!!_ **

The photo shows Trent and Asuka smirking despite their obviously intimate kiss. The number 13 is on a large mirror, which shows a very confused looking Naomi coming out of a bathroom stall.

_Asuka Nine: So late all of you…almost like you didn’t know where this one was. ;)_

_Naomi Fatu: When was that?!?! I don’t even remember that!!! OMG! I AM NEVER DRINKING AGAIN!_

_Trent?: i think that’s cheating, Evil Me…_

_Trent Seven: It’s creative._

_Chuckie T: ITS CHEATING! JUST ASK LITTLE KAZU!#_

_Kazuchika Okada: IT IS CHEATING EVIL TRENT AND I SHALL COME FOR YOU!!! I CHALLENGE YOU TO A DRINK OFF!!!! I HAVE SHOTS!!!_

_Asuka Nine: Fight me, fish-boy!_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 14th!!!_ **

Another picture of Becky and Charlotte just before they kiss. In the background is Trent forcefully kissing Chuck around the two beers in Chuck’s hands.

_Chuckie T: I THINK THIS MIGHT COUNT AS UNCONSENSUAL EVIL TRENT!_

_Trent Seven: Would you like it stricken?_

_Trent?: no he doesn’t! we’re behind and need as many as we can get!_

_Chuckie T: THREE/FOUR! CHARLOTTE WE’RE COMING FOR YOU!!!_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 15th!!!_ **

A blurry shot of a violently blushing Seth pressing an enthusiastic kiss to Shawn’s lips.

_Matt Jackson: Get in, son!!_

_Nick Jackson: Get him done, Sethie!!!_

_Roman Reigns: I’m right here, guys…right here! >:(_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 16th!!!_ **

The salon staff, and Kenny with his arm around Marty’s shoulders, are all in the front of the photo, but in the corner Chuck and Trent are sharing what looks like a pretty serious kiss, with Chuck’s hands tangled in Trent’s hair, and Trent’s on Chuck’s waist.

_Chuckie T: NOTHING IS TRUE! EVERYTHING IS PERMITTED!_

_Kenneth OmegamanX: I think I just won $50…_

_Brandi Rhodes: GOD DAMN IT!!!_

_Naomi Fatu: PISS!_

_Asuka Nine: Could you not have waited! 10 minutes and I’d have won! GOD FUCKING DAMN IT!!!!_

_Marty Scurll: 5 minutes…5 fucking minutes…well done though Kenny! :3_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 17th!!!_ **

A very brightly lit photo of Dean kissing Finn. Their hands are tangled in each other’s clothes, and hair. In the corner of the photo are a very serious looking Chuck and Trent, their heads inclined towards each other, and serious expressions on their faces.

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 18th!!!_ **

A photo that is clearly a continuation of the kiss Dean and Finn were sharing in the last. It looks like they had just walked from one number to the next, still locked in the same kiss.

_Becky Lynch: CHEATS!!! EVIL TRENT!!! THAT IS CHEATING!!!_

_Trent Seven: Why am I evil Trent? Empress! Tell them I’m not evil!_

_Asuka Nine: You’re pretty evil darling…but that’s not cheating, Becky… maybe you should stop trying to drink Chuck under the table, and start kissing your wife!_

_Becky Lynch: YEAH! STOP DISTRACTING ME EVIL CHUCK!!!_

_Chuckie T: I’M NOT EVIL! I’M A GOOD CHUCK!_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 19th!!!_ **

This picture is of Chuck and Trent sharing a very timid looking kiss. Behind them are Becky and Charlotte, sharing a very frantic, passionate, drunken kiss.

_Asuka Nine: 5/5!_

_Kenneth OmegamanX: I was not expecting this contest…_

_Marty Scurll: I mean I thought that Becks and Charli would kill this_

_Kenneth OmegamanX: There’s still time, my little bird :3_

_Marty Scurll: Kenneth…_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 20th!!!_ **

The picture shows a very brightly blushing Kenny pressing his lips to an even redder Marty’s. The staff of the salon, the music store, and the comic store are gathered around them, all obviously cheering. 

_Brandi Rhodes: FINALLY!!! LOOK HOW CUTE OUR BOYS ARE!_

_Cody Rhodes: Very cute, but aren’t we missing out this prize, baby girl?_

_Brandi Rhodes: PRIZES MEAN NOTHING IN THE FACE OF LOVE, COD-FISH! <3_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 21st!!!_ **

The picture is of Matt and Nick pressing kisses to Kenny’s cheeks. The three of them are grinning like cats with canaries in the mouths.

_Matt Jackson: BFFS4LYF!_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 22nd!!!_ **

A very obviously drunk Wade kissing Sheamus. Becky is in the corner of the shot, laughing at her cousin’s annoyed expression.

_Sheamus O’Shaunessy: We had a strategy, Wade…what happened?_

_Wade Barrett: SHOTS!!! GET HER DONE, SHEA!_

_Martina Claus: GET HER DONE!!!_

_Jordan Devlin: Please calm down a little, Martina…I can’t look after you and Jimmy._

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 23rd!!!_ **

Drunk Sheamus is planting a fierce kiss to Wade’s lips in this picture. He’s fending off a very drunk Martina with one hand, trying to keep her shot glass away from him. In the side of the picture, a flushed Jimmy is pouring generous shots into several glasses.

_Jimmy F. Havoc: KAZU! Get your fine ass over here! WE HAVE SHOTS!!!!_

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 24th!!!_ **

This picture is of Okada kissing Will, one hand in Will’s hair, the other holding a shot glass that Jimmy is in the process of filling.

_Jordan Devlin: FUCK IT! SHOTS!_

_Matt Jackson: I got my Jimmy watching your Jimmy, btw. We’ll make sure you guys get home._

_Asuka Nine: Where’s Kenny gone? I owe him money_

_Kenneth OmegamanX: Looking for a mic for karaoke. Marty’s the best at it!_

_Xavier Woods: There’s one in the Den._

_Nick Jackson: Threesome expedition to get karaoke going! Kenny, Marty, Nicky! Assemble!_

_Marty Scurll: In the name of the moon, we’ll punish you!_

_Kenneth OmegamanX: I bag being Usagi!_

_Marty Scurll: Does Tuxedo Mask have a name? I’m gonna google it._

**_Staff Party Kiss Files! 1 st on 25th!!!_ **

The picture shows a very red Becky, her arms wrapped around Charlotte’s neck, their lips pressed firmly together. In the background there’s the blurred figures of Chuck and Trent, kissing gently but too late to claim the number one spot.

_Becky Lynch: Me and my girl! Kissing like queens do! Claiming our night out tomorrow! Sorry boys, but we’re QUEENS and we slay!_

_Charlotte Flair: I don’t want any more alcohol…I want Chinese food! Can we get fortunate cookies?_

_Sheamus O’Shaunessy: Me and Wade’ll take the prize for Christmas, Becks._


	24. 24th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 24th of December: The aftermath of the kissing contest as told by three couples.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Slash, FemSlash, Fluff.

It had been a fun idea. It had escalated. It became a bad idea. They’d only been after a night of free alcohol. Chuck groans, and rubs his temples. The big game room in the mall still has a fair few people in it, despite it being about four in the morning. He’s sitting on the ground, and there’s a mostly empty bottle of something that smells strong to his left, to his right there’s a miserably groaning heap.

“You want this?” He taps the heap with the bottle. Trent looks at him from one eye, and snatches the bottle. He waits to see if there’s going to be anything else, or if this little drunken nap is going to be used as cover for not talking about the kissing contest.

“Yeah, gimme.” Trent throws an arm around Chuck’s shoulders, and takes a heft swig from the bottle. “We lose?” That comment answers his unasked question. They’re not discussing what happened any further. That’s fine. They’re best friends, sometimes best friends become _best_ friends, that doesn’t make them _best friends_ full finger quotes and all. Trent taps him with the bottle. “Here, you look pissed, drink some more.”

“Why? It’ll only make me puke.” Chuck bats the bottle away, and supposes that he should work out how he’s going to get home. If he looks annoyed thinking about how many finger quotes he and Trent need to talk about their friendship, he’s too drunk.

“Hmm…” Trent doesn’t really answer, his arm tightens around Chuck’s shoulders, pulling him closer.

“C’mon, I’m done for the night. Lemme go.” Chuck grumbles, and Trent pulls him into a very awkward mess of a hug.

“Do we need finger quotes now?” Trent asks absently. He’s petting Chuck’s arm like it was a cat, and still trying to get him to take a drink. “I mean…there’s photographic evidence online, and Kenny thinks he’s won like fifty bucks, so I think we need finger quotes, right?” Chuck takes the bottle. He’s not avoiding the conversation, it’s just apparently the night isn’t over yet.

“If he has won, we deserve half.” Chuck twists in Trent’s arms, and grins up at him. “We’re the ones enduring finger quotes, we deserve twenty-five bucks at least.” Trent chuckles mildly, and takes the bottle back, pressing a kiss to the side of Chuck’s head before having a drink.

“I think they’re done for the night.” Matt and his Jimmy are holding up Martina and Jordan’s Jimmy respectively. Jordan is singing _My Way_ in a tone that is either crooning or stepped on cat, and Kenny isn’t sure which. He’s going to side with crooning because he’s kind. “Nick, you wanna be in charge of Old Blue Eyes over there?” Nick groans, but heads over to wrestle the mic from Jordan, and assure Becky that her staff would be delivered to their homes safely. She’s a very protective drunk, but she also realises that she’s too drunk to be any use. This doesn’t stop her from worrying though, and making Nick promise to call her as soon as they drop everyone off.

“So…wanna duet?” Kenny nudges Marty, and feels a little guilty about it. The Englishman had clearly been napping, not that Kenny can blame him. It’s nearly four a.m. It’s been a long and eventful night. Marty looks up at him, rubbing his eyes, smearing the glitter that Brandi had put there at some stage. He might not drink, but somehow there are still large parts of the night that Kenny is drawing a blank on. How everyone even tangentially close to Brandi ended up covered in glitter is just one of them.

“Duet on what?” Marty leans away from him, and grabs his bottle of water from the floor. They’d dragged one of the benches over in front of the projector that was showing photos all night, at least until the karaoke was installed, and that’s where he and Marty as precariously perched.

“Honestly, I’ve no idea…” Kenny shrugs, and pulls Marty back to lean against him once more. He feels much more content with Marty pressed against him.

“Honestly, I’m knackered, Kenny.” Marty smothers a yawn against his chest, and Kenny smothers a smile against Marty’s sparkling hair. “Why are you covered in glitter?” Marty pulls back just enough to look up at Kenny with a sleepy little smile.

“Brandi…and wait till you see your hair.” Kenny chuckles, and gets to his feet, offering Marty a hand.

“We’ll need to clear this stuff up.” Marty yawns again, and gestures to the stuff they’d carried up from The Den. Kenny nods, and starts unplugging things, which nets him a lot of vague groans from the few people still there and still awake. Quickly they make their way down to Devil’s Sky, and dump the stuff inside.

“You want some tea before you head home?” Kenny knows that he should let Marty head home, he looks exhausted, but if Marty goes home, he’s not with Kenny.

“Tea sounds awesome.” Marty follows him to the back, and flops on the couch there. “Wanna watch something?” Marty’s already summoned up Netflix to the tv in the back, and is looking through the Christmas movies there. Kenny settles beside him whilst the water heats up, his head on Marty’s shoulder. “So…you doing anything tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow that is today, or tomorrow that is tomorrow?” Kenny asks, and Marty laughs at him. “Cause today, I’m gonna have a nap, probably here, and open the store on the off chance someone is last minute buying comics, and tomorrow, my only plan involves calling my folks around lunch time.”

“Cool.” Marty shifts, rearranging them so that they’re lying on the couch, Kenny’s head on Marty’s chest. “I’ve a little chicken, and some parsnips that I had to hunt for, and the best trifle you’ve ever tasted. I’ve also got room for one more, if you wanna come eat some trifle.” Kenny isn’t entirely sure what trifle is, but he’s for sure having some tomorrow.

Winning a kissing contest is more painful that Charlotte expected. Her head hurts, and she’ not entirely why they’re still in the gym, but they are, and now the karaoke’s gone because Kenny and Marty stole it, or put it back, or something that involved them looking entirely too cute, and making sweet couple jokes. The longer they’re together, the more annoying adorable they’re going to become. They’re going to be the sweet, sappy couple, she can tell.

“Becks?” Charlotte pokes Becky in the ribs, and gets a glower for her actions. “What couple are we?”

“Eh?” Becky catches Charlotte’s hair back, and secures it in place with an elastic. Charlotte has no idea where that hair-tie came from, all she knows is her woman is _always_ prepared.

“Asuka and Trent are the weird couple. Sheamus and Wade are solid, but boring couple. Kenny and Marty are the sappy couple. Trent and Chuck are the drunk couple. Okada and Will the new couple…what couple are we?” Charlotte’s draped over Becky’s back, watching her order an uber for them to get home safely.

“What couple do you think we are, Charli?” Becky asks. There’s a lazy grin on her face as she helps Charlotte into the elevator.

“I think we’re…” Charlotte trails off, staring at their reflections in the mirrored wall of the elevator. “Marry me.”

“What?” Becky looks at her oddly, and Charlotte laughs.

“I’ve been trying to work out when and how to ask you perfectly, but I think this is it.” Charlotte, drops to one knee, and pulls the elastic from her hair. The ring box is safely at home, she was worried about losing it at the party. “Becks, I _literally_ cannot imagine a life where you’re not right beside me. So, please be my wife.”

“You better have a nicer ring for me than this, Charli.” Becky takes the hair-tie from Charlotte, and once more ties Charlotte’s hair back.

“I do…I have since June.” Charlotte gets to her feet, and pulls Becky into a kiss. “So, is this a yes?”

“Charli…” Beck shakes her head with an exasperated sigh. “Has there ever been any doubts in your mind that I would say anything but yes? I practice signing my name Rebecca Flair when I’m bored for fuck sake.” Charlotte stares at her, and Becky kisses her gently. “There is nothing in the world that will make me happier than being your wife, Charli.”

“Fuck yeah!” Charlotte bounces out of the elevator, and offers her arms to Becky. Becky bounds over to her, and leaps into Charlotte’s embrace. “Let’s go home, Mrs Flair. We’ve much celebrating to do.” Becky beams at her, and ushers Charlotte out of the mall and into the waiting uber.

“Indeed, Mrs Flair. We’ve so much celebrating to be done! Winning the contest, Christmas, and most importantly, my new surname.”

 

 

 


	25. 26th of December

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 26th of December: Boxing Day featuring The Brewed Awakening, The Ice-Rink, and The Animal Shelter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: Slash, FemSlash, Het, Fluff.

The mall was closed yesterday. The only reason Brewed Awakening is open is for the Boxing Day sales, and Becky isn’t going to sit around in the apartment on her own. Charlotte is working downstairs, but on a half-shift. Once she’s done, her plan is come up and be a waitress for a few hours. Then they’re going to hunt out Charlotte’s engagement ring. Becky twists her finger in the light, watching the pretty diamond in the middle of her ring send rainbows around the quiet coffee shop. She’d posted a picture of her ring yesterday, and the amount of likes and comments had blown her away. She’d no idea how many people had thought she and Charlotte were already married. She’d never realised she and Charlotte were the old married couple of their friends. It’s not the worst couple they could be, and really, she’s kind of delighted that their friends were so supportive and happy for them.

They’d spent Christmas with her cousin Sheamus, and his man Wade. The four of them sitting around eating, and watching classic movies. It was the first time Sheamus had ever seen A Christmas Story, and he’d made them promise to get him a Red Ryder next year. Once they’d exhausted movies, they’d opened the brandy, and started playing charades. Charlotte and Wade had teamed against Becky and Sheamus, and annoying they won. Sheamus and her had never been a very good team, both of them are too competitive, but Wade and Charlotte had been impressive. They’d killed at charades, they slaughtered Becky and Sheamus at Pictionary, but they’d been destroyed at Trivial Pursuit, probably because it’s the version Becky and Sheamus have been playing since they were kids, but still, Team Ireland had managed to score one victory.

Once her cousin and his man had left, Becky had called home. She’d proudly showed off her engagement to her parents, pretending studiously that she didn’t notice her father tearing up at the thought of walking his baby girl down the aisle finally. After her parents, they’d called Charlotte’s, which requires two calls instead of one. Charlotte’s mother had been very pleased at their news, and then spent an hour sharing family gossip. Charlotte’s father had openly wept, and promised Becky that being a Flair would be the best thing she’s ever done.

It was definitely the best Christmas she’s had in a while, and one she’s looking forward to trying to top next year.

~~~~

Will’s never been ice skating before and it shows. Thankfully, this is a double date, and Will is slightly less like Bambi on ice than Marty. Marty’s fallen flat on his face so often that instead of worrying Kenny, it now amuses him. A loud bark of laughter from Kenny has Kazu and Will looking over at the once more on his ass Marty.

“He is very bad at this.” Kazu says it quietly, and Will nods, clinging desperately to Kazu’s hands. He’s smiling like an idiot, and trying to focus on his feet, and not the little crinkles at the side of Kazu’s eyes when he smiles.

“I’m not much better.” Will mutters, looking down at his feet, and then gasping when Kazu pulls him in closer. A soft kiss is brushed over his temple, and Will feels his feet slip from under him. He pulls Kazu with him into a tangle of arms, and legs, but no blood.

“You’ll get better.” Kazu laughs, and untangles himself, offering Will a hand up. In trying to haul himself upright, Will drags Kazu back down, which has Marty cackling at them, finally looking happy to be on the ice. Will gives Kazuchika his best puppy eyes, and Kazu takes off after Marty, clearly intending to defend Will’s honour. Kenny swoops in to defend Marty, and the pair take off on what is very odd race.

“Don’t pull me down too.” Marty cautiously skates over to Will, and helps him to his feet. Will offers Marty his arm, and the two take off on a very tentative circuit of the rink. “You think we’ll get better that this?” Will shrugs, and ends up clinging to the barrier when Kenny and start a blatant and confusing dance off. Kenny some how ends up recruiting Chuck on to his side, and they appear to be doing the macarena. Trent has joined forces with Kazu, and they seem to be struggling to find any dance but the Saturday Night Fever fingers that they both know.

“We’ll get better, but I really hope that we don’t end up thinking _that_ is a good idea.” Trent and Chuck have broken from their former partners, and have just performed a beautiful Dirty Dancing lift. “They nailed that.”

“Dancing on Ice ready for sure.” Marty grins over at Will, and leans against the barrier beside him. “So…how your burgeoning relationship going?”

“Uh…not bad to be honest.” Will rubs the back of his neck, and shakes his head as Kazuchika and Kenny try their hand at Dirty Dancing lifts. They seem to be in a fierce argument about who’s being Baby. “We went to Chuck’s house for Christmas dinner of fried chicken, and beer.”

“You had KFC on Christmas?” Marty sounds mildly horrified, and Will nods slightly.

“Chuck made it. He’s from Kentucky…so, I guess it was kind of KFC. His family recipe…it was well good to be honest.” Kazuchika has conceded to being Baby for the first attempt, and seems very annoyed at how easily Kenny held him up in the air. He pouting as Kenny skates around with him held over his head. “Kazu said that KFC for Christmas is a thing back in Japan.”

“Oh yeah? Weird, but cool, I guess.” Marty’s smothering a laugh, as a very triumphant looking Kenny skates past them, still carrying Kazuchika over his head. “I hope he doesn’t kill your man, Will.” Will looks over at him horrified, and Marty shakes his head. “He’ll be fine…Kenny’s really good at lifting heavy things. He showed off for me the other day in the gym.”

“How are things with you and him?” Will knows Marty well enough to know that relationships aren’t usually what he’s looking for, but the expression on his face is very sappy, and very fond as he watches Kenny skate at Kazu for his turn at being Baby. Marty shakes his head and shrugs.

“I don’t know.” He laughs, and is blushing slightly. “I think it’s gonna be good. Even once this whole honeymoon period wears off, it’s gonna be good.” Will looks over at him, and catches a glimpse of the little smile curving Marty’s lips. He’s sure it’s going to be good if Marty keeps looking at Kenny with that expression on his face. Will bumps against Marty’s shoulder, and jerks his chin out towards the middle of the ice.

“Race you?” Will starts off nervously, and Marty pushes away from the wall with a lazy grin. He smoothly glides out onto the ice. He gathers speed when Kenny spots him, and braces himself to catch him in a Dirty Dancing lift. “You faked being shit at this, didn’t you? You god-damn ass-hat!” Marty doesn’t answer Will beyond a cackle, and leaping into Kenny’s waiting arms.

~~~~

She’s here working, just not the same way that everyone else in the mall is working. Alexa stamps her feet, and attaches the next leash to the next dog. She’s not looking forward to January when all the puppies people have gotten sick of show up. They’ve already got six dogs looking for forever homes. They don’t need a million puppies who need their forevers too. Braun’s freed the cats, and is clearly trying not to laugh as one of the three kitties has decided he’s a wonderful tree, and has scaled the big man.

“You’re gonna help me walk the dogs, right?” Alexa stamps her feet again, trying to get some warmth into them after the cold of outside. She’d feed the farm animals in the little barn out back, and wanted nothing more than to take them all inside where it was warmer, but they’d seemed warm enough, just bored. She’s looking forward to tomorrow when the guy from the out of town rescue centre comes to take them all home. The pony needs some more space to play if nothing else.

“I will, as soon as I get this little monster back in her cage.” The cat that’d scaled Braun is a tiny thing, all eyes, and tail. If ever a cat has looked like Evil from Earthworm Jim, it’s this scrawny little white thing. It loves Braun, but the big man already has three cats at home, and has said on several occasions as much as he loves her, he can’t take her home.

“Here, here. C’mon.” An odd looking Asian man tugs another, very solid, clad in black Asian man into the store. “You open?” The man with red shot through his hair asks, his gaze unblinkingly focussed on Alexa.

“Umm…yes?” Technically they are open for business, it’s just they’re not open for accepting animals at the moment. In the new year, yes, but the vets right now are on emergency only, and they don’t have the space to quarantine animals just in case.

“Good.” The smaller of the two men says something to the other in a language Alexa doesn’t know, and the small man approaches the cat that’s still up on Braun’s shoulder. “Kitty.” He practically sings at the cat, and she meows at him in her odd little voice. She leaps down into the odd little man’s waiting arms, then bounds over to the bigger man in black. “See. Evil kitten.” The bigger man nods, his attention caught by the little cat. Braun grins, and from seemingly nowhere produces adoption papers that are mostly already filled out. The bigger Asian man looks at his friend with a raised eyebrow. “Sign.” The papers are signed, and the pair leave with little Evil.

“He came in like a week ago to adopt her. He said she was perfect for his friend, and well…you saw.” Braun laughs, and puts the other two cats to bed before taking some of the leashes from Alexa. “Let’s get these puppies walked, then.” The w-word causes chaotic excitement, and Alexa can’t help but laughing at the ridiculousness of the whole situation.

“You’ve not arranged adoptions for any of them, then?” She asks, grinning up at Braun, as they lead the dogs out of the store, and into the snow.

“Not yet…but I think we can get the blond guy from the sushi place…his new boyfriend has a soft spot for little Ezio.” Ezio is a sleek greyhound, with a waggy tail and no sense, she’s seen the skinny Englishman come to fuss over the dog on several occasions.

“That’s our New Year’s resolution then? Getting little Ezio adopted by a sushi chef?” Alexa grins up at Braun, and walks closer to him, letting him drape a big arm over her shoulders, keeping her warmer.

“That’s the plan, little pixie.” He grins down at her, and stands on her tippy-toes to press a gentle kiss to his lips, just like the one she’d given him under the mistletoe at the staff party, and she gets a kiss that’s as gentle as the one he gave her yesterday back.


	26. Day Breakdown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Details of what happens on each day.

> 1st of December: Brewed Awakening's owner and her girlfriend finish off decorating, breakfast, and their morning kiss.  _Warnings: FemSlash (Charlotte/Becky Lynch), Terrible nicknames, Fluff._
> 
> 2nd of December: Matt might not have said "I love you" to his other half, but that doesn't change the fact he probably does. _Warning: Slash (Matt Jackson/Jimmy Jacobs), Fluff, Terrible nicknames._
> 
> 3rd of December: Trent and Chuck are best friends, and best friends are awesome at everything together, even at Dirty Dancing lifts.  _Warnings: Friendship, Fluff, Scaring and scarring small children._
> 
> 4th of December: Asuka and Trent have a lovely lunch break together.  _Warnings: Het Pairing (Trent Seven/Asuka), Terrible Nicknames, Semi-Public Sex._

> 5th of December: Drinking on a work night always had consequences, but they seem to be good ones for Will.  _Warnings: Pre-Slash (Kazuchika Okada/Will Ospreay), Fluff, Drinking, Senpai is Noticing._

> 6th of December: Dean's favourite regular is late. Warnings: Pre-Slash (Dean Ambrose/Finn Bálor), Fluff, Drinking, Bar tending is boring.

> 7th of December: Wade breaks routine, but Sheamus does get an early Christmas present.  _Warnings: Slash (Wade Barrett/Sheamus) Fluff._

> 8th of December: Sasha is bored of watching the same Christmas movie over and over, so she bugs her girlfriend into relieving her boredom.  _Warnings: Fem-Slash (Sasha Banks/Bayley), Semi-Public Sex._

> 9th of December: Santa and his elves have a little fun after their shift in the Grotto.  _Warning: Threesome (Andrade "Cien" Almas/Drew McIntyre/Zelina Vega), Smut._

> 10th of December: Sunday shift at the Brewed Awakening featuring a hungover boyfriend, several cups of tea, a couple of bacon rolls, and the promise of a tin of Roses minus the caramel barrels.  _Warnings: Slash (Jordan Devlin/Jimmy Havoc), Good boyfriending, Fluff, Terrible Nicknames._

> 11th of December: Lunch time for Seth in the Brewed Awakening nets him lunch, embarrassment, and a plan for the evening.  _Warning: Slash (Roman Reigns/Seth Rollins), Crushes, Fluff._

> 12th of December: Taco Tuesday with the Taco Tuesday Crew, minus Kenny cause he has date (finally).  _Warnings: Best friends, "Best friends", Terrible Nicknames_.

> 13th of December: Marty has a moment, and by the end of it Kenny might be getting glitter gel pens for Christmas.  _Warnings: Slash (Kenny Omega/Marty Scurll), Fluff._

> 14th of December: Braun works with a lot of small, cute things that trust him to be gentle with them.  _Warnings: Friendship, Fluff._

> 15th of December: Senpai finally gets sick of someone else noticing, and does some of his own.  _Warnings: Slash (Kazuchika Okada/Will Ospreay), Fluff._

> 16th of December: Preparations for The Oil Slick's Christmas Party are well under way, despite tension between the squishy, white boys on staff.  _Warnings: Slash (Kassius Ohno/Cesaro), Het (Trent Seven/Asuka) (Tyler Bate/Liv Morgan), Fluff._

> 17th of December: Liv goes Christmas shopping at The Fashion Castle.  _Warnings: Fabulousness._

> 18th of December: Steve's year gets a little better. _Warnings: Fluff_

> 19th of December: Finn's morning was awful, but his lunchtime is much better.  _Warnings: Slash (Finn Bálor/Dean Ambrose), Fluff._

> 20th of December: Sami is bored, and Kevin is a good friend.  _Warnings: Fluff._

> 21st of December: Charlotte takes Becky to go see Santa, and contemplates when to give her girl her Christmas present.  _Warnings: FemSlash (Charlotte Flair/Becky Lynch), Fluff._

> 22nd of December: Wade and Sheamus have a strategy meeting in preparation for the night of free drinks.  _Warnings: Slash (Wade Barrett/Sheamus), Fluff._

> 23rd of December: The staff Christmas party has a kissing contest. A twenty-five kiss kissing contest.  _Warnings: Slash, FemSlash, Het, Fluff._

> 24th of December: The aftermath of the kissing contest as told by three couples.  _Warnings: Slash, FemSlash, Fluff._

> 25th of December: Malls are closed! :D

> 26th of December: Boxing Day featuring The Brewed Awakening, The Ice-Rink, and The Animal Shelter.  _Warnings: Slash, FemSlash, Het, Fluff._

Please, be kind and leave a review if you enjoyed what I've written.


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